New Website Lets New Yorkers Switch to Clean Energy in Three Clicks
Posted November 30, 2009 in Green Enterprise, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, The Media and the Environment, U.S. Law and Policy
If they knew they had a choice, I'd bet a lot of consumers would quickly support renewable energy. But most consumers just don't know they can start America on the path toward a clean energy economy with their personal energy choices. Now - for New Yorkers who want to use green power and feel like they're making a difference - it just got easier.
A new website launched today simplifies the process of supporting renewable energy in New York! The site - www.greenpowernyc.com - is a joint effort by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.
We created this website to provide New Yorkers with a tool to lead the way in repowering America, starting with their own homes and small businesses. It was designed to be an easy streamlined process for supporting green power in only three clicks!!!
Simply go to www.greenpowernyc.com and it'll walk you these through 3 easy steps:
- Step 1: Choose the type of renewable energy you want
- Step 2: Choose a provider
- Step 3: Fill out a short form to sign up
This allows residents and small business owners to select their desired type of clean power and energy provider, and switch to supporting clean energy using renewable energy certificates (RECs). This exciting tool will help New Yorkers cut global warming pollution, increase economic development in the clean energy sector, and avoid the construction of new fossil fuel power plants in the area.
What is a REC? This is how it works: Once electricity is put on the grid, it's impossible to route it to any one destination, like your home. Fortunately, customers are able to purchase RECs that have been sold by the renewable energy generator as environmental commodities. Each certificate represents the environmental benefits of a megawatt-hour of renewable electricity. Your purchase will enable you to make a claim to that renewable energy that no one else can make. Once you've purchased it, that certificate is "retired" so it can't ever be used again.
NRDC is excited about this project that was made possible by a generous donation from the Wolfensohn Family Foundation. Currently, ConEdison Solutions, Community Energy and Sterling Planet are the green power providers participating in this exciting venture. We welcome other green power providers to join this partnership, thereby providing even more clean energy options to NYC residents.
And I encourage my fellow New Yorkers to make the switch!
For more information on RECs and green power purchasing, please visit the following:
http://www.green-e.org/learn_re_claims.shtml
http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/buygp/types.htm
Press release:
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Comments
Lou Grinzo — Nov 30 2009 11:42 AM
Just to make it completely clear, the linked site is for residents of New York CITY, not New York STATE.
And I also strongly encourage people to sign up for "green electrons" whenever possible. My wife and I (who live in Western NYS) have done this for a couple of years, and it costs us less than 1 cent/kWh more than "gray electrons".
Tanya — Dec 1 2009 01:42 PM
Question:
Is there a size of organization/distribution method restriction for this? Just wondering, as you say that residents and small business can make the switch, but what about (for example) NRDC's NYC office? or a school?
thanks!
Brandi Colander — Dec 1 2009 03:39 PM
Yes, there is a capacity limit as this website is designed to accommodate residential and small business owners in New York City. Any customer that uses less than 200 MWh per year (or 200,000 kWh) will be able to easily enroll through this website.