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Buying Green Power
Buying Green Power
Green Power Benefits
Your organization’s purchased electricity use can be a significant source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Buying green power can help reduce your organization’s environmental impact while also providing valuable benefits:
- Avoid carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
- Reduce some types of air pollution
- Hedge against future electricity price increases (certain products)
- Serve as a brand differentiator
- Generate customer, investor, or stakeholder loyalty and employee pride
- Create positive publicity and enhance your organization’s public image
- Demonstrate civic leadership
The price paid for green power can vary widely by:
- Resource type (e.g., solar, wind, biomass)
- Resource geography
- Product type (renewable energy certificate [REC], utility pricing, fixed pricing)
- Contract duration
- Vendor
The Green Power Locator lists residential price premiums for some green power products. Economies of scale may provide large volume buyers lower price premiums than the residential rates imply. EPA recommends seeking multiple price estimates from suppliers to assess the going market rate for green power products that meet your organization’s purchase specifications.
Partnership Perspective
EPA can support your organization in communicating the benefits of your green power purchase to stakeholders. We lend valuable credibility to your organization’s actions, helping verify that your purchase meets nationally accepted standards for size, content, and resource base. For additional information on becoming a Green Power Partner, please visit the Join Us Web page.
Added Reading
The Guide to Purchasing Green Power (PDF) (50 pp, 1.1MB, About PDF) provides valuable information about buying green power. It includes information on the different types of green power products and the benefits of green power purchasing, including how to capture the greatest benefit from your purchase. The Guide is the product of a cooperative effort between EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the World Resources Institute, and the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS).