NREL Assessment highlights green utility power leaders.
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Press Release Summary:
U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) annual assessment of leading utility green power programs indicates there are 850+ utilities across U.S. that offer green power programs. Utility green power sales in 2009 exceeded 6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) and represent more than 5% of total electricity sales for some of most popular programs. Wind energy represents ~2/3 of electricity generated for green energy programs nationwide.
Original Press Release:
NREL Highlights Utility Green Power Leaders
Annual assessment shows more consumers making clean power choices
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
Green Pricing Program Renewable Energy Sales
(as of December 2009)
Rank Utility Resources Used Sales (kWh/year) Sales (aMW)a
1 Austin Energy Wind, landfill gas 764,895,830 87.3
2 Portland General Wind, biomass, 740,880,487 84.6
Electricb geothermal
3 PacifiCorpcde Wind, biomass, 578,744,080 66.1
landfill gas, solar
4 Sacramento Municipal Wind, hydro, biomass,
Utility Districtc solar 377,535,530 43.1
5 Xcel Energycf Wind, solar 374,296,375 42.7
6 Puget Sound Wind, landfill gas, 303,046,167 34.6
Energycg biomass, small hydro,
solar
7 Connecticut Light Wind, hydro 197,458,734 22.5
and Power/ United
Illuminating
8 National Gridh Biomass, wind, small 174,536,130 19.9
hydro, solar
9 Public Service Wind 173,863,751 19.8
Company of New
Mexico
10 We Energiesc Wind, landfill gas, 173,217,802 19.8
solar
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.
Green Power Sales as a Percentage of Total Retail Electricity Sales (in kWh) (as of December 2009)
Rank Utility Program(s) % of Load
1 Waterloo Utilitiesa Renewable Energy Programb 21.4%
2 Edmond Electricc Pure and Simple 8.1%
3 Portland General Clean Wind, Green Source, 7.9%
Electricd Renewable Future
4 City of Palo Alto Palo Alto Greenb 6.9%
Utilitiese
5 Austin Energy Green Choice 6.4%
6 River Falls Municipal Renewable Energy Programa 6.2%
Utilities
7 Madison Gas and Green Power Tomorrow 4.9%
Electric
8 Sacramento Municipal Greenergyb 3.6%
Utility District
9 Park Electric Green Power Program 3.4%
Cooperativef
10 PacifiCorp Blue Sky Blockb, Blue Sky 2.8%
(Oregon only)be Usageb, Blue Sky Habitat
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.
Total Number of Customer Participants (as of December 2009)
Rank Utility Program(s) Participants
1 Portland General Electrica Clean Wind, Green 72,812
Source, Renewable Future
2 PacifiCorpbc Blue Sky Blockd, Blue Sky 71,165
Usaged, Blue Sky Habitat
3 Xcel Energye WindSourced, Renewable 70,393
Energy Trust
4 Sacramento Municipal Utility Greenergyd 50,250
District
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/ CTCleanEnergyOptions 22,336
United Illuminating
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.
Customer Participation Rate (as of December 2009)
Rank Utility Program(s) Customer Participation Rate Program Start Year
1 City of Palo Palo Alto Greenb 20.8% 2003
Alto Utilitiesa
2 Portland General Clean Wind, Green 10.2% 2002
Electricc Source, Renewable
Future
3 Madison Gas and Green Power 9.6% 1999
Electric Tomorrow
4 Sacramento Greenergyb 8.5% 1997
Municipal Utility
District
5 City of Renewable Energy 8.4% 2005
Napervilled Program
6 Silicon Valley Santa Clara Green 8.1% 2004
Powera Powerb
7 Pacific Power Blue Sky Blockb, 6.5% 2002
- Oregon Onlya Blue Sky Usageb,
Blue Sky Habitat
8 River Falls Renewable Energy 5.8% 2001
Municipal Programb
Utilitiese
9 Stoughton Renewable Energy 5.2% 2002
Utilitiese Programb
10 Lake Mills Light Renewable Energy 5.1% 2002
& Watere Programb
10 Pacific County Green Power Tomorrow 5.1% 2002
PUD
a Marketed in partnership with 3Degrees Group Inc.
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.
Price Premium Charged for New, Customer-Driven Renewable Power (as of December 2009)
Rank Utility Resources Used Premium (¢/kWh)
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 Wind 0.39
Cooperatived
5 Arizona Public Wind, geothermal, biomass, 0.40
Service Companye landfill gas, solar
6 Indianapolis Power Wind 0.42
& Light Company
7 Flathead Electric Wind 0.50
Cooperatived
7 Sacramento Municipal Wind, hydro, biomass, solar 0.50
Utility Districte
9 Xcel Energy Wind, solar 0.75
(New Mexico)ae
10 Emerald People's Landfill gas, wind, biomass 0.80
Utility District
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.
Media may contact:
Gary Schmitz
303-275-4050
gary.schmitz@nrel.gov
