Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

3Degrees

September 2013 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced the 2013 Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Markets 2013 conference in Austin, Texas. The EPA recognizes exceptional achievement among EPA Green Power partners and green power suppliers, and differentiates award categories between green power purchaser and supplier awards.

The EPA handed out a total of twenty-four Green Power Leadership Awards. On the purchaser side, Cisco Systems, Georgetown University, Microsoft Corporation, and The Ohio State University were named Green Power Partners of the Year, and Cincinnati, OH and Mercer Island, WA were named Green Power Communities of the Year. Additionally, Apple, Kaiser Permanente, and Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations each received awards for on-site generation, and Intel, Kohl's, and Staples all received awards for sustained excellence in green power. On the supplier side, 3Degrees, Dominion Virginia Power, and Sterling Planet were named Green Power Suppliers of the year.

In addition to the EPA Green Power awards, CRS announced six award recipients: Women of Wind Energy was named Best Green Power Education Outreach Program; BMW was given an award for Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Purchaser, and Clean Currents, Pacific Power, and Rocky Mountain Power were all awarded for the Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Supplier. The Green Power Leader of the Year was awarded to Jon Wellinghoff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Press Release - EPA Honors 24 Organizations for Green Power Leadership

Press Release - Center for Resource Solutions Announces 2013 Green Power Leadership Award Winners

May 2013 - Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) is selling the first-ever renewable energy certificates (REC) generated from a grid-tied tidal power facility. 3Degrees is the sole purchaser of the RECs being generated by ORPC's Maine Tidal Energy Project. The project is located between eastern Maine and Canada in the Bay of Fundy. The bay has a tidal range of 50 feet and is one of the largest ranges in the world. The generated electricity is fed into the Bangor Hydro Electric Company power grid for distribution through northern and eastern Maine. ORPC plans to increase the project's generation capacity to 5 megawatts over the next several years.

Press Release - Nations First Tidal Power RECs Delivered to 3Degrees

July 2012 - 3Degrees has launched three new renewable energy certificate (REC) products, which offer customers a greater choice in the type and location of the renewable generation that their REC purchase will support. All RECs offered by 3Degrees are certified by Green-e Energy.

The three new products include: Regional Green Power, Catalyst Wind, and Brighter Schools Solar. Regional Green Power RECs are designed to encourage regional green power project development by offering customers the ability to dictate the American geographic region in which the purchased RECs were generated. Catalyst Wind Power RECs allow a customer to purchase only RECs generated by wind projects that have come online on or after January 1, 2011. Brighter Schools Solar RECs allow a customer to purchase RECs from solar photovoltaic projects located at schools across the US.

One newly developed wind farm that has been able to increase its REC revenues through the new 3Degrees REC product offering is the 22-megawatt Sawtooth Wind Farm project located in Elmore County, Idaho. The developer of the project, Idaho Winds LLC, sees the availability of REC revenues as an important element to wind project finance.

An early purchaser of the 3Degrees REC offering is Sprint, which has purchased all three of the specialized products as the company looks to further expand its commitment to matching a portion of its electricity to renewable generation sources.

News Release - 3Degrees Launches New Renewable energy Products

April 2012 - The Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) and 3Degrees announced the launch of Maine Green Power, a new state-wide voluntary green power program, which gives residents and businesses the opportunity to purchase locally produced renewable energy from solar, hydro, wind, biomass or other renewable energy projects located in the state. The Maine Green Power program will be available to customers of Central Maine Power, Bangor Hydro Electric Company, and Maine Public Service Company.

Maine Green Power participants can purchase green power in 500 kilowatt-hour blocks. Each block costs $7.50 per month, and residential customers can purchase between 0.5 and 4 blocks of renewable energy each month. Commercial customer can also purchase green power blocks at a rate of $7.50, though they must purchase a minimum of one block per month.

News Release - MPUC and 3Degrees Announce Launch of the Maine Green Power Program Which Enables Mainers to Choose Renewable Energy for Their Homes or Businesses

Additional Information - Maine Green Power Program

November 2011 - Twenty-nine companies, organizations and individuals were recognized with national achievement awards at the Renewable Energy Markets 2011 Conference in San Francisco. The Green Power Leadership Awards recognize actions that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through renewable energy markets. The awards are presented by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS).

EPA's Partner of the Year awards went to the Empire State Building, Google Inc., Intel Corp., Kohl's Department Stores, and Staples. Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. were honored as Communities of the Year. 3Degrees and Washington Gas Energy Services were named Non-Utility Green Power Suppliers of the Year by DOE, and DTE Energy won for Utility Green Power Program of the Year. DOE also awarded the Clean Energy Collective the Innovative Green Power Program of the Year Award. CRS presented Tennessee Valley Campus Outreach Program the award for Best Green Power Education Outreach Program, New Leaf Paper, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Villanti & Sons, Printers Inc. the award for Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Purchaser. CRS also recognized Clean Currents for the Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Supplier and Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as the Green Power Pioneer Award.

News Release - Energy Department Recognizes Nation's Top Green Power Programs

News Release - EPA Honors 19 Organizations for Leadership in Clean Energy

News Release - Center for Resource Solutions Announces 2011 Green Power Leadership Award Winners

Additional Information - Green Power Leadership Awards Announced November 16, 2011

November 2011 - 3Degrees has been selected by the Maine Public Utilities Commission to launch a new, voluntary statewide green power program. The firm also announced that it will be the green power supplier for Connecticut's CTCleanEnergyOptions program. Through these initiatives, 3Degrees will be able to offer green power options to the majority of residential and commercial utility customers in Maine and Connecticut.

Seattle City Light (WA) has selected 3Degrees to help manage customer outreach for its Green Up program. In addition, Puget Sound Energy (WA) has decided to renew its green power program services contract with the company. With these new and renewed agreements, 3Degrees and its utility partners will offer green power options to over 7.7 million residential and commercial utility customers in seven states.

News Release - 3Degrees Expands Green Power Program Services to Utility Customers in Connecticut, Maine, and Washington

September 2011 - The University of Utah is now purchasing more than 98 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable wind energy generation. The university's participation in Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program is made possible through a student fee-funded sustainability program. Renewable energy is provided to the university via renewable energy credits (RECs), which are purchased through Rocky Mountain Power and 3Degrees.

The university's Office of Sustainability is encouraging students, faculty and staff to utilize renewable energy by signing up for the Blue Sky Program. Rocky Mountain Power is offering a challenge grant during the upcoming public radio fall pledge drive, allowing public radio members to enroll in Blue Sky when they make a donation to the public radio station.

News Release - Green Power at the U Goes Big with Blue Sky Visionary Designation

February 2011 - HKS, Inc., an architectural design firm, has purchased enough green power to match 100 percent of the electricity used at its 110,000-square-foot Dallas headquarters. The purchase of 4.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy was through 3Degrees, and will allow HKS to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for its headquarters.

News release - HKS Continues to Commit to Green Power

October 2010 - Twenty-eight companies, organizations and individuals were recognized with national achievement awards at the Renewable Energy Markets 2010 Conference in Portland. The Green Power Leadership Awards recognize actions that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through renewable energy markets. The awards are presented by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Center for Resource Solutions.

Among green power purchasers, the highest honors went to the Kohl's Department Stores, Motorola, Inc., TD Bank, and Whole Foods Market, who were named Partners of the Year. The City of San Francisco and Phoenix Press, Inc. were recognized for their On-Site Generation. Corvallis, Oregon and Park City, Utah were honored as Communities of the Year. 3Degrees, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, SunRun Inc., and SolarCity were named Non-Utility Green Power Suppliers of the Year. La Plata Electric Association, Inc. and Portland General Electric won for Utility Green Power Programs of the Year. Arizona Public Service was awarded for Best Green Power Education Outreach Program. Sundance Square was named for Best Promotional Campaign by a Green Power Purchaser. Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power were recognized for Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Supplier. Thor Hinckley of Portland General Electric received the Green Power Pioneer Award.

News Release - DOE Recognizes Six Organizations as Nation's Top Green Power Suppliers

News Release - EPA Honors 18 Partners for Advancing Green Power Market

News Release - Center for Resource Solutions Announces 2010 Green Power Leadership Award Winners

News Article - Portland General Electric Receives Two National Green Power Awards

More Information - 2010 Green Power Leadership Awards

July 2010 - The city of Santa Clara has secured the top spot in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Communities rankings with more than 163 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of the community's electricity usage coming from voluntary purchases of green power.

In 2009, businesses in Santa Clara purchased almost 38 million kWh of renewable energy certificates through Silicon Valley Power's Santa Clara Green Power program, which is jointly managed with 3Degrees. The program has a customer participation rate of eight percent, the sixth best customer participation rate in the country. The 4,000 residential participants in the Santa Clara program purchased the equivalent of over 25 million kWh of wind and solar. In addition, some Santa Clara businesses supported renewable energy by purchasing RECs from other vendors. Most notably, the nation's largest purchaser of renewable energy certificates (RECs) is Santa Clara based Intel, which purchased the equivalent of over 1.4 billion kWhs in 2009 for their national operations from a nation-wide supplier.

The other communities topping the EPA rankings include: Gresham, OR (126 million kWh and 12% participation), Corvallis, OR (100 million kWh, 15% participation), Bellingham, WA (92 million kWh, 13% participation), and Beaverton, OR (71 million kWh, 5% participation).

News Release - EPA Names Santa Clara The Top Green Power Community In The United States

News Article - Santa Clara top 'green' power community in U.S.

Additional Information - Green Power Communities

Contact: Carol McCarthy, 408-615-2213

April 2010 - Whole Foods Market has purchased 810 million kWh of wind power, equivalent to 100 percent of its electricity use at its North American locations, through marketer 3Degrees.

Whole Foods Market has also made a commitment to on-site renewable energy systems, with 15 locations currently using solar power and more in development. Two stores host hydrogen fuel cells, and the Company's San Jose store recently announced it would host a fuel cell that will generate enough electricity to meet 90 percent of the store's needs.

In addition to its on-site and renewable energy purchases, Whole Foods Market announced plans to reduce energy consumption at all stores by 25 percent per square foot by 2015.

News Release - Whole Foods Market Commits to Reduce Energy Consumption by 25 Percent per Square Foot by 2015

February 2010 - HostGator, a web hosting service, announced its purchase of about 5 million kWh of renewable energy sourced from wind farms in Texas. The purchase represents 130% of the electricity used to power and cool HostGator's more than 1,800 shared and reseller servers. HostGator purchased the renewable energy certificates (RECs) through 3Degrees.

News Release - HostGator renews commitment to keep more than 1,800 servers green

Additional Information - HostGator has gone green

October 2009 - Georgian Court University, based in New Jersey and founded in 1908, has entered into an agreement to purchase more than 5.6 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy certificates (RECs) — enough to meet 100 percent of the college's expected annual electricity use. Under the agreement, 3Degrees Inc., a San Francisco-based renewable energy marketer, will supply RECs sourced from national biomass (5 million kWh) and wind (665,280 kWh) facilities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership, the university is the first in New Jersey to match its anticipated electricity use with 100 percent renewable energy.

News Release - Georgian Court Green Purchase Sends Powerful Message

Contacts: Gail Towns, 732-987-2266 | Tara Strickland, 732-987-2291

September 2009 - The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership recently recognized Deutsche Bank for its purchase of 160 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy certificates (RECs) per year from 3Degrees Inc. The two-year agreement will supply RECs equivalent to 100% of electricity needs of the company's U.S. corporate offices and facilities. The purchase is a part of Deutsche Bank's commitment to reduce its global carbon footprint by 20 percent annually compared to its 2007 base year in order to neutralize the CO2 emissions of its worldwide operations by 2012.

News Release - Deutsche Bank Championship sustains green commitment

News Release - Deutsche Bank Commits to 100% Green Energy for its Americas Facilities

Contact: Ted Meyer, 212-250-7253

September 2009 - Twenty-six companies, organizations and individuals were recognized with national achievement awards at the Renewable Energy Markets 2009 Conference in Atlanta. The Green Power Leadership Awards recognize actions that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through renewable energy markets. The awards are presented by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Center for Resource Solutions.

Among green power purchasers, the highest honors went to the Deutsche Bank AG, Intel Corporation, Kohl’s Department Stores, and Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc., who were named Partners of the Year. 3Degrees and Bonneville Environmental Foundation were named Non-Utility Green Power Suppliers of the Year. Central Vermont Public Service Corporation, Madison Gas and Electric Company, and Puget Sound Energy won for Utility Green Power Programs of the Year. Ed Holt of Ed Holt & Associates, Inc. received the Green Power Pioneer Award.

News Release - DOE, EPA, and CRS Announce Green Power Leadership Awards

News Release - DOE Recognizes Green Power Network Leaders

More Information - 2008 Green Power Leadership Awards

July 2009 - U.S. Equities Realty, a full service real estate firm, has purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset 100 percent of its electricity use at its commercial office building in Chicago, IL. Under an agreement with 3Degrees, the company will purchase 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year for two years.

The historic eight-story building, built in 1888 on Chicago’s "Magnificent Mile," houses the headquarters of U.S. Equities Realty, ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company (ISMIE) and Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS).

Press Release - U.S. Equities Realty Powers 20 North Michigan Avenue with Renewable Energy Credits

Contact: Sundee Wislow, 312-456-7000

March 2009 - BD Medical and Millipore Corp. collectively committed to purchase 47 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually and joined the Green-e Marketplace program, which enables them to display the Green-e logo on product packaging or marketing materials to help customers identify products and services produced using certified renewable energy. The BD Medical facility located in Sandy, Utah purchased 37 million kWh of wind energy from Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Energy program to meet 100% of its energy needs for manufacturing two of its safety-engineered devices. The Millipore Corp. located in Billerica, Massachusetts purchased 10 million kWh from 3Degrees to offset 100% of its electricity use in its facilities in Temecula and Anderson, California, St. Charles, Missouri, and Danvers, Massachusetts.

News Release - BD Ranks 23rd on EPA’s Fortune 500 List of Green Power Purchasers

News Release - Millipore Joins EPA’s Green Power Partnership

News Release - Medical and Life Science Leaders Join Green-e Marketplace With 100% Renewable Energy Purchase

January 2009 - The San Francisco International Airport Commission has approved a pilot program that would enable air travelers to purchase certified greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets through three onsite kiosks. Under the program, which will be implemented by 3Degrees, passengers will be able to calculate the carbon emissions associated with their air travel and make a contribution using a credit card. The kiosks are scheduled to be available starting in the spring of 2009.

3Degrees will work with the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Environment to determine the sources of the emissions offsets for the program, which may include projects that generate renewable energy in developing countries, capture methane from agricultural processes, organic wastes, or coal mines, or support sustainable forestry. A portion of each offset purchase would go to the San Francisco Carbon Fund, which supports local projects such as energy-efficiency programs and solar panel installations for low-income housing, as well as efforts to convert waste oils into biodiesel fuels.

News Article - S.F. fliers may pay their way in carbon usage

Additional Information - San Francisco Airport Commission Minutes (November 18, 2008) (PDF 40 KB)

November 2008 - Staples, the office products company, has expanded its annual green power purchase to about 127 million kWh, which is 21% of its estimated electricity usage, making Staples the 26th largest green power purchaser in the nation. The majority of Staples’ green power purchase consists of renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased from 3Degrees Inc., but in some areas the company also purchases bundled green energy from utilities serving regions where stores are located.

In addition to its green energy purchase, Staples also has fourteen on-site roof-top solar power systems at retail stores and distribution centers in the U.S., with a total capacity of 2.9 megawatts. Staples has a corporate goal of reaching a 7% reduction in its U.S. carbon emissions by 2010 on an absolute basis, starting from a base year of 2001. The company’s multi-faceted environmental plan incorporates its EcoEasy program, providing customers with identified eco-friendly products and technology recycling at its 1,400 retail outlets in the U.S.

News Release - New England Fortune 500 Companies Recognized for Green Power Purchases

October 2008 - Twenty-five companies, organizations and individuals were recognized with national achievement awards at the 2008 National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference in Denver. The Green Power Leadership Awards recognize actions that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through renewable energy markets. The awards are presented by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Center for Resource Solutions.

Among green power purchasers, the highest honors went to the Community of Bellingham, Washington, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, University of Pennsylvania, and WhiteWave Foods Company, who were named Partner of the Year. The City of Palo Alto Utilities, 3Degrees Inc., and Sterling Planet were Suppliers of the Year and AmerenUE won for New Green Power Program. Dr. Jan Hamrin, founder of the Center for Resource Solutions, received the Green Power Pioneer Award.

News Release - Utility Suppliers Earn Nation’s Top Honors for Green Power Efforts

More Information - 2008 Green Power Leadership Awards

September 2008 - Santa Clara University has expanded its annual green power purchase commitment from 8 million kWh to about 11.3 million kWh. The purchase was made through Santa Clara Green Power, the green pricing program of the city’s municipal utility, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), which is marketed in partnership with 3Degrees. The utility offers renewable energy certificates (RECs) sourced from newly constructed wind projects located within the western U.S. The expanded purchase makes the University a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership’s Green Power Leadership Club.

News Release - Santa Clara University Purchases over 11 Million Kilowatt-Hours of Clean Renewable Energy

SVP Contact: Joyce Kinnear, (408) 615-5686

May 2008 - AmerenUE received regulatory approval to add a block option to its Green-e certified Pure Power green power offering for residential and small commercial customers. The new option of 1,000 kWh blocks, at $15 per block, was already available at the same price to large industrial electricity customers. This announcement expands that option to the other customer classes, who could previously only purchase renewable electricity for 100% of their usage, at 1.5¢/kWh above the standard rate. For some small commercial customers, the block option allows for participation at a lower monthly cost than previously available with the usage rate. The block option also provides a solution to customers seeking a fixed renewable energy premium each month. 3Degrees will continue to manage the Pure Power program.

News Release - AmerenUE Makes It Even Easier for Customers to Support Renewable Energy

AmerenUE Contact: Tim Fox, (314) 554-3120

May 2008 - 3Degrees, a provider of green power and greenhouse gas (GHG) verified emission reductions (VERs), conducted the first-ever transfer on The Gold Standard Foundation's Voluntary Emission Reduction (VER) Registry earlier this month.

Under the agreement, 3Degrees will retire 1000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission reductions from Meridian Energy's approximately 90-MW wind energy project in Manawatu, New Zealand on behalf of its customer, News Corporation. The New York-based diversified entertainment company is simultaneously purchasing the Gold Standard verified offsets from 3Degrees as part of its company-wide commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2010. To date, News Corp.'s total carbon footprint has been approximately 600,000 to 650,000 tons per year. In late 2007, the company purchased 60,000 offsets derived through a wind energy project in Maharashtra, India to help meet that goal.

The Gold Standard Foundation serves as a certification body and provides a registry for offsets they certify. The Gold Standard VER Registry, which was developed and is maintained by APX, Inc., prevents double-counting of Gold Standard VER credits and provides numerous public reports and a full audit trail of all transactions to ensure their integrity. The Gold Standard is distinguished from other carbon standards by its requirement that a project implement additional features that contribute to local sustainability. In the case of the New Zealand wind project, these included incorporating the wind farm into tourism and educational opportunities to the public. The visitor car parking area located underneath one of the turbines attracts an average of 400 cars per week. In addition, the wind farm provides an additional income stream for local farmers while using only a small portion of their land for the turbines.

News Release - First-Ever Transfer on Gold Standard Voluntary Carbon Reduction Registry Conducted by 3Degrees

3Degrees Contact: Jason Brown, 415-674-1420
The Gold Standard Foundation Contact: Caitlin Sparks, 510-908-1210
APX Contact: Reiner Musier, 617-699-0929
News Corporation Contact: Jack Horner, 212-852-7952

October 2007 - AmerenUE announced a new green power offering for its 1.2 million electricity customers in Missouri. Under the Green-e certified Pure Power program, customers can purchase renewable energy equivalent to their electricity needs at a premium of 1.5¢/kWh over standard electricity rates. Business customers can purchase the renewable energy in 1,000 kWh increments each month for $15. The program will be supplied with renewable energy certificates (RECs) from recently constructed wind farms (75%) and other renewable energy sources in the region. At least half of the program demand will be met by new renewable generators located within Missouri and Illinois. AmerenUE does not profit from the program and customers can cease participation at any time with no penalty. 3Degrees Group, Inc., formerly the REC and Utility Partnership Division of 3 Phases Energy, will develop and manage the Pure Power program over the next five years.

News Release - AmerenUE Launches Pure Power Voluntary Renewable Energy Program With One-Of-A-Kind Celebration Featuring St. Louis Mayor, Early Adopters, Massive Wind Turbine Blade

AmerenUE Contact: Susan Gallagher, (314) 554-2175

June 2007 - AmerenUE announced that it has teamed with 3Degrees Group, Inc. (formerly the REC and Utility Partnership Division of 3 Phases Energy), an independent renewable energy marketing company, to provide a voluntary renewable energy program for its 1.2 million Missouri electric customers. Under the Pure Power program, residential and small business customers can purchase renewable energy for 100% of their electricity needs at a premium of 1.5¢/kWh. Medium and large business customers can purchase an unlimited number of 1,000-kWh blocks of green power every month for $15 each. The program will be supplied from Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) derived from new regional wind farms (75%) and other renewable energy resources (25%). At least half of the RECs will be sourced from renewable generators located within Missouri and Illinois. No subscription contract is required and customers can cease participation in the program at any time without penalty.

News Release - AmerenUE, 3 Phases Energy Introduce Pure Power, Voluntary Renewable Energy Option

May 2007 - Fairfax County (Va.) has entered into a three-year contract with 3Degrees Group, Inc. (formerly the REC and Utility Partnership Division of 3 Phases Energy) to purchase more than 24 million kWh of wind energy through the Virginia Energy Purchasing Governmental Association. By the end of the contract term, wind power will account for 10% of the county's annual electricity consumption, up from 5% at present. The wind power will be generated primarily at the Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Schuylkill County, Pa.

The wind energy purchase is one component the County's commitment to a new national "Cool Counties" initiative, which will organize the nation's 3,000 counties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The new agreement replaces a two-year purchase contract with Washington Gas Energy Services for 11.6 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) sourced from the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center in Tucker County, W.Va.

News Release - Fairfax County Expands Purchase of Wind Energy

News Release - Fairfax County Enters into Agreement to Purchase Wind Energy

News Article - Eco-Friendly Initiative Proposed For Fairfax

April 2007 - The following news items have been edited to properly record activities conducted by the RECs and Utility Partnerships Division of 3 Phases Energy Services, LLC, prior to the acquisition of these assets by 3Degrees.

March 2007 - Connecticut College announced that it has expanded its green power purchases to meet 100% of its annual electricity needs. This year, under an agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), the college is purchasing 15 million kWh of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) derived from wind energy facilities. The college has been steadily increasing its green power purchases since 2002, when green power met 17% of annual electricity needs.

News Release - College Continues Commitment to Renewable Energy

Connecticut College Contact: Eric Cárdenas, (860) 439-2508

January 2007 - Penn State University will purchase green power to meet 20% of its electrical energy needs for the next five years, up from its previous commitment of 5%. Under a new set of contracts, the university will purchase 83.6 million kWh of green power annually, including Pennsylvania-based wind energy from Community Energy, Inc., national wind and biomass energy from 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), and low-impact certified hydroelectric power from Sterling Planet, Inc. The university was able to increase its green power purchases by negotiating a lower average purchase price; the new contracts carry an average price of 0.5¢/kWh compared to 1.4¢/kWh under its previous wind energy contract.

News Release - University Awards Environmentally Friendly Energy Contracts to Enhance Existing Green Initiatives

October 2006 - Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company with $500 billion in assets, announced that it is purchasing 550 million kWh of wind energy annually, thus becoming the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership. The purchase will offset 40% of the company's overall electricity use with Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) supplied by 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees). The three-year purchase agreement began on October 1.

News Release - Wells Fargo Commits to Largest-Ever Corporate Purchase of Renewable Energy in U.S.

News Article - Wells Fargo Gets in the Wind

September 2006 - Safeway Inc. announced a renewal of its green power purchase agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees). Under the agreement, Safeway will purchase 174 million kWh of wind energy over two years, making it the largest corporate purchaser of wind energy in California. The purchase covers the entire electricity needs of Safeway's corporate headquarters campuses in Pleasanton and Walnut Creek, its San Francisco stores, and its 269 U.S. fuel stations.

News Release - Safeway Applauds California Governor and Legislature on New Law Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

September 2006 - The Western Area Power Administration announced that it coordinated renewable energy certificate (REC) purchases by five federal agencies totaling 236 million kWh over five years. The RECs will be supplied by 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) from wind, biomass and geothermal projects located in California, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon and South Dakota. The purchases will help the agencies meet federal renewable energy use goals set in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The agency purchases include:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Denver (7 million kWh)
• Fort Lewis, Wash. (209.5 million kWh)
• NASA Ames Research Center, Calif. (12.3 million kWh)
• NASA Eastside Airfield, Calif. (4.1 million kWh)
• U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region (2.75 million kWh)

Western also coordinated a 1.5 billion kWh, five-year purchase of renewable energy by Colorado Springs Utilities, which will be used to comply with the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requirement. Under this agreement, Community Energy, Inc. will supply RECs from wind energy and other renewable projects located primarily in California, Kansas and Nebraska.

News Article - Credits Help Utilities Go Green

September 2006 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become the first federal agency to purchase renewable energy for 100% of its annual electricity needs. EPA recently signed a 13-month contract with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) for more than 100 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs), bringing total agency green power purchases to nearly 300 million kWh. The latest RECs purchase involves more than 190 EPA facilities nationwide and supports the development of wind farms in California, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

News Release - EPA Becomes First Federal Agency to Be Powered 100% Green

More About EPA's Green Power Purchases:
http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/greenpower.htm

August 2006 - Coldwater Creek, a national women's apparel retailer, announced a commitment to purchase renewable energy for all of the electricity used at its headquarters, distribution center, customer contact centers, and retail stores across the nation. Under a contract with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), the company will buy more than 217 million kWh of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) representing wind-generated electricity over the next three years.

News Release - Coldwater Creek Makes Companywide Conversion To Renewable 'Green' Energy

April 2006 - Northwestern University, a private institution with 14,000 students and campuses in Evanston and Chicago, IL, has signed a four-year agreement to purchase 40 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) each year, equal to 20% of the school's total annual electricity needs. The RECs are Green-e certified and will be supplied by 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) from Midwestern wind farms, including the newly developed Weatherford Wind Energy Center in Custer County, OK. The RECs purchase makes Northwestern the second largest purchaser of renewable energy among the nation's colleges and universities, according to the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership.

News Release - Northwestern Buys 'Wind Power' for 20 Percent of Power Needs

December 2005 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered into a three-year contract to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) to cover 100% of the electricity needs of its new Potomac Yards buildings in Arlington, VA, and its headquarters satellite facilities. Under the contract with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), EPA will purchase 12.45 million kWh of RECs derived from new wind facilities in Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. With this purchase, EPA now procures green power for 85% of its electricity needs nationwide.

More Information - EPA's Green Power Purchases

EPA Contact: Justin A Spenillo (202) 564-0639

December 2005 - Roseville Electric, the municipally owned utility of the City of Roseville, California, is offering a new Green-e certified renewable energy option to its residential and business customers. Under the Green Roseville program, customers can choose to meet 100% of their electricity needs with renewable energy at a rate premium of 1.5¢/kWh. The green power is supplied from wind (97.5%) and solar (2.5%) resources generated from newly constructed projects located in California, including solar projects in Roseville.

Customers can also choose to contribute 1¢/kWh to a special fund, the RE New Green Fund, to help underwrite the cost of new solar installations in Roseville. Additionally, a portion of the customer premiums collected for the Green Roseville program will go toward the RE New Green Fund. Roseville Electric is partnering with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) to manage renewable energy purchases and marketing for the Green Roseville program, which replaces the utility's RE Green Energy program offered since 2000.

News Release - Roseville Electric Gives The Gift Of Choice Through Its New Community- Based Renewable Energy Option, Green Roseville

Roseville Contact: Beverly Van Arkel (916) 774-5671

November 2005 - Liz Claiborne Inc. announced the acquisition of prAna, a sportswear apparel and accessories company, and a commitment to join prAna's Natural Power Initiative. Beginning this fall, Liz Claiborne will purchase approximately 25 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) sourced from wind energy facilities nationwide to offset 100% of the electricity consumption of its New Jersey headquarters campus.

prAna launched its Natural Power Initiative earlier this fall, purchasing RECs to offset the electricity needs of its headquarters, 250 of its retailers, and all residences of its full-time employees. Under an agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), prAna will purchase 16.5 million kWh of Green-e certified wind energy certificates in 2006. Eventually, prAna plans to purchase wind power for its entire North American dealer base of approximately 1,000 retail partners as well as its contracted U.S.-based sewing facilities.

News Release - Liz Claiborne Inc. Adopts prAna Natural Power Initiative

News Release - Apparel Manufacturer Offers Retailers Wind-Power Certificates

October 2005 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) honored a group of organizations committed to advancing the development of green power markets in the United States. The annual Green Power Leadership Awards, recognizing leading national green power purchasers and suppliers, were presented on October 24 at the Tenth National Green Power Marketing Conference in Austin, Texas.

EPA and DOE presented awards for green power purchasing to 29 organizations. The highest honor in purchasing, the Green Power Partner of the Year Award, was presented to HSBC North America, Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. Air Force and WhiteWave Foods Company. Additional Purchaser Award winners included: Alameda County, California; Aspen Skiing Company; the Atlantic Golf division of the Brick Companies; Dagoba Organic Chocolate; FedEx Express Oakland, California Hub Facility; City of Fresno, Calif.; Green Mountain Coffee Roasters; Harvard University; the Hyatt Regency Dallas and the Hyatt Regency Dallas-Fort Worth; Mohawk Fine Papers; Safeway Inc.; St. Francis Winery and Vineyard; Starbucks Coffee; The University of Minnesota, Morris; the City of Vallejo, Calif.; Western Washington University; Whole Foods Market – Rocky Mountain Region; and the World Bank Group.

Seven awards were also presented to organizations demonstrating notable success in marketing and encouraging green power program participation. The highest honor, Green Power Program of the Year, was presented to Austin Energy's GreenChoice Program for the second consecutive year. Other Supplier Award winners included 3 Phases Energy; Enel North America, Inc.; Florida Power & Light; PacifiCorp's Blue Sky Program; PECO WIND and Community Energy; and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

CRS presented Green Power Market Development Awards to organizations and individuals showing leadership in building and shaping the market for renewable energy. Recipients included 3 Phases Energy, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Blair Swezey of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

More Information - 2005 Award Ceremony Booklet (PDF 1.1 MB) Download Acrobat Reader

September 2005 - Safeway, one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, announced that it will purchase renewable energy to power the company's 270 fuel stations in the United States, its 15 stores in San Francisco, and the Safeway corporate campuses in Pleasanton and Walnut Creek, California. Under an agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), Safeway will purchase 78 million kWh of wind energy annually, thus becoming California's largest buyer of renewable energy and one of the nation's largest buyers of green power.

News Release - Safeway Partners With EPA to Buy Wind Energy for Fuel Stations, San Francisco Stores and Corporate Offices

News Article - Safeway finding answer in the wind

Additional Information - EPA Green Power Partnership List of Top 25 Purchasers

August 2005 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has entered into contracts to purchase another 26.3 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) for its Chelmsford, Edison, Fort Meade, and Richmond laboratories and its Chicago Regional Office.

Under a three-year contract with Select Energy, EPA will purchase 9 million kWh of RECs from new wind farms in North and South Dakota and Wyoming to meet the needs of its Chelmsford and Edison laboratories. For its Richmond laboratory, the agency signed a three-year agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) for 1.9 million kWh of RECs sourced from wind energy projects in California. Finally, EPA entered into a one-year agreement with Basin Electric Power Cooperative for 15.4 million kWh of RECs from wind farms in North and South Dakota for the Fort Meade lab and the Chicago Regional Office.

With these new contracts, EPA now purchases green power to serve more than 80% of its electricity needs nationwide.

Information Release - EPA procures Green Power for multiple facilities (PDF 64 KB) Download Acrobat Reader

EPA Contact: Justin A Spenillo (202) 564.0639

June 2005 - The University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems announced that they have entered into an agreement to purchase renewable energy for 15% of their electricity needs. Under a six-month contract with APS Energy Services, UC and CSU will purchase 39,000 MWh and 34,000 MWh, respectively, of renewable energy certificates consisting of wind (86%) and landfill gas (14%) resources. The RECs will be supplied by 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) under a wholesale agreement with APS Energy Services.

The purchase stems in part from UC's policy on Green Building Design and Clean Energy Standards, which was adopted in July 2003 to increase sustainability system-wide. At CSU, the announcement comes on the heels of a two-year campaign run by university students and Greenpeace to encourage CSU to adopt a comprehensive clean energy and sustainability policy. The university is currently drafting a policy that will include standards for energy conservation, clean energy generation, clean energy purchasing, and sustainable building design.

News Release - CSU and UC Make Largest University Purchase of Clean Energy

News Article - UC, CSU Sign Greener Energy Contract

Contact: Josh Lynch, (415) 297-0572
For more information, visit: http://www.renewcsu.org

APS Energy Services Contact: Jihad Zagul (602) 744-5000.

June 2005 - The Center for Resource Solutions announced that Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) purchased enough Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset the carbon dioxide emissions associated with San Francisco's electricity use on June 5. The purchase was made to honor the United Nations World Environment Day 2005 Conference, which was hosted in San Francisco from June 1-5.

To make San Francisco's electricity use "carbon neutral" for the day, PG&E purchased 2.8 million kWh of RECs supplied from the 41-MW Edgeley Wind Farm in North Dakota through California-based marketer 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees).

News Release - California Utility Uses Green-E Certified Renewable Energy To Make San Francisco Electricity "Pollution Free" For A Day

April 2005 - HSBC Bank announced that it has entered into an agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) to purchase wind energy certificates equivalent to 30% of its electricity needs. HSBC will purchase 45 million kWh annually of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates sourced from new wind projects in California and Minnesota, making it one of the largest retail green power purchases in North America.

Last December, HSBC became the world's first major bank to commit to carbon neutrality. The bank plans to achieve this goal by reducing energy use, buying green electricity, and offsetting the remaining carbon dioxide emissions by investing in carbon credit or allowance projects.

News Release - HSBC Bank USA, N.A. Makes Landmark Earth Day Renewable Energy Commitment

HSBC Contact: Kathleen Rizzo Young (716) 841-5003

January 2005 - The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has committed to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) for its regional offices and science and technology laboratories in Kansas City (KS), Denver and San Francisco. Under two separate three-year contracts, EPA will purchase more than 17 million kWh of RECs annually—the equivalent of the total electricity needs of these facilities.

Under a contract with Aquila Inc., EPA will purchase RECs from the Colorado Green Wind Project in Prowers County, CO, for its Denver-based facilities and the Gray County Wind Project near Montezuma, KS, for its Kansas-based facilities. EPA also has an agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) to supply its San Francisco Regional Office with RECs from The Geysers geothermal energy facility in Middletown, CA.

Western Area Power Administration managed the solicitation and provided contracting services for the procurements, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory provided technical support. EPA purchases more than 229 million kWh of green power annually for 23 laboratories and offices, which represents about 79% of its electricity needs nationally.

For more information on green tags and renewable energy, visit EPA's Green Power Web site.

For more about Western's renewable resources program, log on to Western's Green Tags Web site.

News Release - EPA Renewable Energy Goals Furthered; Aquila Green Credits Provided For Facilities In Kansas And Colorado

News Release - EPA Announces Green Tag Purchases from Wind, Geothermal Sources

EPA Contact: Frank Montarelli, 303-312-6780
WAPA Contact: LaVerne Kyriss, 720-962-7051

October 2004 - Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the municipal electric utility of the City of Santa Clara, CA, announced a new renewable energy offering for its residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Under the new program—Santa Clara Green Power—customers can choose to receive 100% renewable energy for a premium of 1.5¢/kWh. The product will be supplied with renewable energy credits from newly constructed wind turbine facilities and new solar photovoltaic projects located within California. Additionally, a portion of the program revenues will be used to support new solar facilities in the Santa Clara community.

SVP is partnering with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), a California-based renewable energy company, to develop the offering and manage the renewable energy purchases and marketing on behalf of the City.

News Release - Silicon Valley Power Offers New Wind and Solar Energy Choice Option to its Residential and Commercial Customers

News Release - Santa Clara offers 'green power' but at a premium price

SVP Contact: Joyce Kinnear (408) 615-5686

June 2004 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered into agreements to purchase a total of 7.7 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) annually for three laboratories in Minnesota, Michigan, and Nevada. Under a three-year contract with QVINTA, Inc., EPA will purchase 2.35 million kWh of RECs for its Duluth, MN laboratory sourced from wind facilities located in Dodge Center, MN. In addition, EPA has entered into a three-year agreement with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) to purchase 4.65 million kWh of RECs for its Las Vegas, NV laboratory sourced from wind farms located in California's San Gorgonio Pass and 700,000 kWh of RECs for its Grosse Ile, MI laboratory sourced from a landfill gas generating facility in Lenox, MI.

News Release - 3 Phases Energy Supplies Renewables to New Portfolio of Federal Facilities

EPA Contact: Justin Spenillo (202) 564-0639

March 2004 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is purchasing green power for two Georgia-based facilities. Under a three-year agreement between the Defense Energy Support Center (on behalf of EPA) and 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), EPA will purchase 11.2 million kWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) annually to supply its Region 4 Office Building in Atlanta and its Science and Ecosystem Support Division Laboratory in Athens. The RECs will be supplied from landfill gas generating facilities located in Kentucky and North Carolina.

Including this procurement, EPA now purchases a total of about 122.5 million kWh of green power annually, which is equivalent to 44% of the electricity consumed at all EPA facilities nationwide.

Information Release - EPA procures Green Power for its Athens, GA Regional Laboratory and its Atlanta Regional Office

Additional Information - EPA Green Power Purchases

EPA Contact: Justin A. Spenillo (202) 564-0639

October 2003 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has committed to purchase green power to meet 50% of the annual electricity needs at its laboratory complex in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Under three separate agreements, the Agency will purchase a total of 35.7 million kWh of green power for the facility.

During the 2004 fiscal year, EPA will purchase 5.7 million kWh of green power for the laboratory complex through the new statewide NC GreenPower program. In addition, it has contracted with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) for 10 million kWh of wind energy certificates from a wind power project in Algona, Iowa, and with Sterling Planet for 20 million kWh of renewable energy certificates from a landfill gas plant in Jacksonville, Florida.

With this latest purchase, EPA now uses green power for more than 40% of the electricity needs at its facilities nationwide. Other purchases include:

• Richmond, California: 1.8 million kWh per year
• Golden, Colorado: 1.9 million kWh per year
• Cincinnati, Ohio: 15.4 million kWh per year
• Chelmsford, Massachusetts: 2.7 million kWh per year
• Manchester, Washington: 2.2 million kWh per year
• New York, New York: 6.1 million kWh per year
• Houston, Texas: 3.4 million kWh per year
• Edison, New Jersey: 6.3 million kWh per year
• Washington, D.C.: 39 million kWh per year

News Release - EPA Boosts Green Power Use With RTP Renewable Energy Purchase

Additional Information - EPA's Green Power Purchases

October 2003 - Kinko's, Inc. announced that it has entered into agreements to expand its green power purchases by 80%. Under a contract with 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), the company will purchase 13.9 million kWh of biomass energy certificates for 45 retail stores in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In addition, Kinko's has entered into agreements with utilities in South Carolina, Wyoming, and Colorado to purchase green power for another 20 branches. With these new agreements, the company now purchases a total of 27 million kWh of green power annually for more than 25% of its retail stores spanning 18 states.

News Release - Kinko's Increases Green Power Use Nearly 80 Percent With Agreements In Four New States

September 2003 - 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) announced that it has signed a deal with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to supply EPA's Region 6 Houston Laboratory with wind energy certificates procured from the 204-MW New Mexico Wind Energy Center. The certificate purchase amounts to 10 million kWh over a three-year period.

News Release - EPA Goes Green with 3 Phases Energy for Houston Regional Office

3 Phases Contact: Dan Kalafatas (415) 561-6488

August 2003 - Pacific Power announced that it has selected 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) to provide renewable energy supply and marketing services for the utility's Renewable Usage and Habitat green energy options starting Jan. 1, 2004. According to the utility, the new three-year agreement will improve upon the current products by increasing the amount of new and local renewable energy sources, including wind energy, biomass and a small amount of solar energy. The majority of the wind energy will be supplied from the Stateline wind project located along the Oregon and Washington border.

The product pricing will remain the same at 0.78¢/kWh above the utility's normal rate. The Habitat plan also includes an automatic $2.50 monthly donation to the Pacific Salmon Watershed Fund, which is an Oregon-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration of native salmon habitat. Pacific Power and 3 Phases plan to offer facility tours and provide enhanced information on the renewable energy projects to help build customer participation.

News Release - Pacific Power Selects 3 Phases Energy to Provide Oregon Renewables

PacifiCorp Contact: Deston Nokes (503) 813-7291
3 Phases Contact: Dan Kalafatas (415) 561-6488

August 2003 - Just nine weeks after unveiling its new PaloAltoGreen program, the City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) announced that 940 community members, or 3.4% of the utility's residential and business customers, have enrolled in the program. Participating customers purchase energy generated from wind and solar resources at an additional cost of 1.5¢/kWh. 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees), a California-based renewable energy company, helped develop the program and manages the renewable energy purchases on behalf of the City.

News Release - City of Palo Alto Utilities' Renewable Energy Program Posts Impressive Launch (PDF 96 KB) Download Acrobat Reader

CPAU Contact: Linda Clerkson (650) 329-2656
3 Phases Contact: Dan Kalafatas (415) 561-6488

July 2003 - 3 Phases Energy (now serviced by 3Degrees) announced that Lundberg Family Farms, a Sacramento-based farm and packager of natural and organic rice products, will purchase green power for 100% of the electricity used to run its milling, processing, and packaging operations. Under the agreement with 3 Phases, the farm will purchase 4.4 million kWh per year of wind energy certificates supplied from the Stateline and Klondike wind energy facilities in Oregon. Lundberg Family Farms is a member of the EPA Green Power Partnership.

News Release - Largest California Agri-Business Commits to Renewable Power

Lundberg Farms Contact: Tim O'Donnell (530) 882-4551
3 Phases Contact: Dan Kalafatas (415) 346-7662

May 2003 - The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) is launching a new renewable energy offering for its residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The new product, known as Palo Alto Green, will consist of 100% renewable energy sourced from newly constructed wind turbine located within the western power system and new California-based solar photovoltaic projects. The city is teaming with 3 Phases Energy to develop the offering and manage the renewable energy purchases. The new product will be Green-e certified.

News Release - City of Palo Alto Utilities Announces Partnership with 3 Phases Energy Services to Launch New Wind and Solar Energy Offering, Palo Alto Green

3 Phases Contact: Dan Kalafatas (415) 346-7662

December 2002 - The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced that it has certified the tradable renewable certificate (TRC) product of 3 Phases Energy (now operated by 3Degrees), a Manhattan Beach, California-based company. The company offers green certificates supplied from new wind resources for approximately 2.5¢/kWh. The charge is in addition to a customer's monthly electric utility bill. The certificates can be purchased on a monthly or annual basis. The company's Web site includes an "environmental footprint calculator" with which potential customers can calculate the number of certificates that would be required to offset the carbon emissions associated with an individual's annual household energy use and transportation requirements.

3 Phases is also a registered energy service provider in California where it markets power generated from existing and new renewable energy sources to business customers.

News Release - Green-e Certifies 3 Phases Green Certificates

3 Phases Contact: Dan Kalafatas (415) 346-7662

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