NREL Studies of Voluntary Markets Draw Positive Feedback from Utilities
Estimated annual voluntary sales by market sector, 2006–2011
October 10, 2012
NREL analysts Jenny Heeter and Lori Bird presented at the 2012 Renewable Energy Markets Conference, a premier national forum for promoting renewable energy.
Heeter presented Innovations in Voluntary Renewable Energy Procurement: Methods for Expanding Access and Lowering Cost for Communities, Governments, and Businesses, which explores five innovative options for voluntarily procuring renewable energy generation or systems. Bird discussed Market Brief: Status of the Voluntary Renewable Energy Certificate Market (2011 Data), which documents the status and trends of voluntary markets—those in which consumers and institutions purchase renewable energy to match their electricity needs on a voluntary basis.
Heeter, who led the development of the two papers, said she received "a lot of positive feedback from utilities on our work tracking trends in the voluntary market."
NREL Report: Innovations in Voluntary Renewable Energy Procurement: Methods for Expanding Access and Lowering Cost for Communities, Governments, and Businesses
Authors: Jenny Heeter and Joyce McLaren, NREL
NREL Report: Status of the Voluntary Renewable Energy Certificate Market
(2011 Data)
Authors: Jenny Heeter, Philip Armstrong, and Lori Bird, NREL
