News Release: NREL Highlights Utility Green Power Leaders
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today released its annual assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as wind and solar.
According to the NREL analysis, more than 850 utilities across the United States now offer green power programs. Utility green power sales in 2009 exceeded 6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), and they represent more than 5 percent of total electricity sales for some of the most popular programs. Wind energy represents approximately two-thirds of electricity generated for green energy programs nationwide.
“Despite the economic downturn, consumers are continuing to support the development of renewable energy by voluntarily participating in utility green power programs,” said NREL senior energy analyst Lori Bird. “These utilities are the national leaders.”
Using information provided by utilities, NREL developed “Top 10” rankings of utility programs for 2009 in the following categories: total sales of renewable energy to program participants, total number of customer participants, the percentage of customer participation, green power sales as a percentage of total utility retail electricity sales, and the lowest price premium charged for a green power program using new renewable resources.
Ranked by renewable energy sales (kWh/year), Austin Energy in Austin, Texas sold the largest amount of renewable energy in the nation through its voluntary green power program. Rounding out the top five are Portland General Electric (Oregon), PacifiCorp (Ore. and five other states), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (Calif.), and Xcel Energy (Col., Minn., Wis. and New Mexico).
Ranked by the percentage of customer participation, the top utilities are City of Palo Alto Utilities (Calif.), Portland General Electric, Madison Gas and Electric Company (Wis.), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and the City of Naperville (Ill.). (See attached tables for additional rankings).
“Participating in green power programs is one way that consumers can support renewable energy development and reduce their environmental footprint,” said NREL analyst Jenny Sumner. More than 650,000 customers are participating in utility programs nationwide.
Utility green pricing programs are one segment of a larger green power marketing industry that counts Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and colleges and universities among its customers, and helps support more than 6,000 MW of renewable electricity generation capacity.
NREL analysts attribute the success of many programs to continued efforts by utilities and their partners to raise awareness of the availability of green power options. In addition, the rate premium that customers pay for green power continues to drop. The average net price premium for utility green power products has decreased from 3.48¢/kWh in 2000 to 1.75¢/kWh in 2009.
The Green Power assessment was performed by NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC), which integrates technical and economic analyses and leads NREL's efforts in applying clean energy technologies to both national and international markets.
NREL released its first annual Green Power study in 2000.
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Visit NREL online at www.nrel.gov
| 1 | Austin Energy | Wind, landfill gas | 764,895,830 | 87.3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Portland General Electricb | Wind, biomass, geothermal | 740,880,487 | 84.6 |
| 3 | PacifiCorpcde | Wind, biomass, landfill gas, solar | 578,744,080 | 66.1 |
| 4 | Sacramento Municipal Utility Districtc | Wind, hydro, biomass, solar | 377,535,530 | 43.1 |
| 5 | Xcel Energycf | Wind, solar | 374,296,375 | 42.7 |
| 6 | Puget Sound Energycg | Wind, landfill gas, biomass, small hydro, solar | 303,046,167 | 34.6 |
| 7 | Connecticut Light and Power/ United Illuminating | Wind, hydro | 197,458,734 | 22.5 |
| 8 | National Gridh | Biomass, wind, small hydro, solar | 174,536,130 | 19.9 |
| 9 | Public Service Company of New Mexico | Wind | 173,863,751 | 19.8 |
| 10 | We Energiesc | Wind, landfill gas, solar | 173,217,802 | 19.8 |
a An "average megawatt" (aMW) is a measure of continuous capacity equivalent (i.e.
operating at a 100% capacity factor).
b Marketed in partnership with Green Mountain Energy Company.
c Product is Green-e Energy (www.green-e.org) certified.
d Some Oregon products marketed in partnership with 3Degrees Group Inc.
e Includes Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power.
f Includes Northern States Power, Public Service Company of Colorado and Southwestern
Public Service.
g Residential product marketed in partnership with 3Degrees Group Inc.
h Includes Niagara Mohawk, Massachusetts Electric, Narragansett Electric, and Nantucket
Electric.
| 1 | Waterloo Utilitiesa | Renewable Energy Programb | 21.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Edmond Electricc | Pure and Simple | 8.1% |
| 3 | Portland General Electricd | Clean Wind, Green Source, Renewable Future | 7.9% |
| 4 | City of Palo Alto Utilitiese | Palo Alto Greenb | 6.9% |
| 5 | Austin Energy | Green Choice | 6.4% |
| 6 | River Falls Municipal Utilities | Renewable Energy Programa | 6.2% |
| 7 | Madison Gas and Electric | Green Power Tomorrow | 4.9% |
| 8 | Sacramento Municipal Utility District | Greenergyb | 3.6% |
| 9 | Park Electric Cooperativef | Green Power Program | 3.4% |
| 10 | PacifiCorp (Oregon only)be | Blue Sky Blockb, Blue Sky Usageb, Blue Sky Habitat | 2.8% |
a Power supplied by WPPI Energy.
b Product is Green-e Energy certified.
c Power supplied by Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority.
d Marketed in partnership with Green Mountain Energy Company.
e Marketed in partnership with 3Degrees Group Inc.
f Power supplied by Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
| 1 | Portland General Electrica | Clean Wind, Green Source, Renewable Future | 72,812 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | PacifiCorpbc | Blue Sky Blockd, Blue Sky Usaged, Blue Sky Habitat | 71,165 |
| 3 | Xcel Energye | WindSourced, Renewable Energy Trust | 70,393 |
| 4 | Sacramento Municipal Utility District | Greenergyd | 50,250 |
| 5 | PECOf | PECO WIND | 34,491 |
| 6 | Puget Sound Energycg | Green Power Program | 25,789 |
| 7 | National Gridh | GreenUp | 22,888 |
| 8 | Connecticut Light and Power/United Illuminating | CTCleanEnergyOptions | 22,336 |
| 9 | We Energies | Energy for Tomorrowd | 20,927 |
| 10 | Iberdrola USA: NYSEG and RG&Ef | Catch the Wind | 20,386 |
a Marketed in partnership with Green Mountain Energy Company.
b Includes Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power.
c Some Oregon products marketed in partnership with 3Degrees Group Inc.
d Product is Green-e Energy certified.
e Includes Northern States Power, Public Service Company of Colorado and Southwestern
Public Service.
f Marketed in partnership with Community Energy Inc.
g Residential product marketed in partnership with 3Degrees Group Inc.
h Includes Niagara Mohawk, Massachusetts Electric, Narragansett Electric, and Nantucket
Electric.
| 1 | City of Palo Alto Utilitiesa | Palo Alto Greenb | 20.8% | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Portland General Electricc | Clean Wind, Green Source, Renewable Future | 10.2% | 2002 |
| 3 | Madison Gas and Electric | Green Power Tomorrow | 9.6% | 1999 |
| 4 | Sacramento Municipal Utility District | Greenergyb | 8.5% | 1997 |
| 5 | City of Napervilled | Renewable Energy Program | 8.4% | 2005 |
| 6 | Silicon Valley Powera | Santa Clara Green Powerb | 8.1% | 2004 |
| 7 | Pacific Power - Oregon Onlya | Blue Sky Blockb, Blue Sky Usageb, Blue Sky Habitat | 6.5% | 2002 |
| 8 | River Falls Municipal Utilitiese | Renewable Energy Programb | 5.8% | 2001 |
| 9 | Stoughton Utilitiese | Renewable Energy Programb | 5.2% | 2002 |
| 10 | Lake Mills Light & Watere | Renewable Energy Programb | 5.1% | 2002 |
| 10 | Pacific County PUD | Green Power Tomorrow | 5.1% | 2002 |
b Product is Green-e Energy certified.
c Marketed in partnership with Green Mountain Energy Company.
d Marketed in partnership with Community Energy Inc.
e Power supplied by WPPI Energy.
| 1 | Edmond Electricab | Wind | -0.17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | OG&E Companyac | Wind | 0.28 |
| 3 | Avista Utilities | Wind, landfill gas, hydro | 0.33 |
| 4 | Park Electric Cooperatived | Wind | 0.39 |
| 5 | Arizona Public Service Companye | Wind, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, solar | 0.40 |
| 6 | Indianapolis Power & Light Company | Wind | 0.42 |
| 7 | Flathead Electric Cooperatived | Wind | 0.50 |
| 7 | Sacramento Municipal Utility Districte | Wind, hydro, biomass, solar | 0.50 |
| 9 | Xcel Energy (New Mexico)ae | Wind, solar | 0.75 |
| 10 | Emerald People's Utility District | Landfill gas, wind, biomass | 0.80 |
a Premium is variable; customers in these programs are exempt or otherwise protected
from changes in utility fuel charges.
b Power supplied by Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority.
c OG&E Company offers two rate structures for its Wind Power program; the lowest premium
is for the rate which exempts customers from the fuel charge.
d Power is supplied by Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
e Product is Green-e Energy certified.