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February 2007 - Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations (SELCO) announced the availability of a green power option for its 12,000 electricity customers in Massachusetts. Under the GreenLight program, an average household can purchase renewable energy for 15% of their electricity needs for $5 per month or 30% of their electricity needs for $10 per month. The average Shrewsbury resident uses 500 kWh of electricity each month. The utility will also work with customers who want to purchase renewable energy in larger increments.
To supply the program, the utility will procure renewable energy certificates (RECs) sourced from New England-based wind projects under a wholesale agreement with Mass Energy Consumers Alliance. SELCO is offering the option in response to its 2005 Customer Satisfaction Survey in which 67% of respondents said they were interested in purchasing renewable electricity.
News Article - Residents Throw Power to The Wind
SELCO Contact: Jackie Pratt (508) 841-8500
April 2005 - Four non-profit suppliers of renewable energy in New England announced that they are combining forces to market a single green power product to residential and small commercial customers in the region. Under the agreement, Mass Energy Consumers Alliance (Mass Energy), People's Power & Light, Conservation Services Group (CSG) and the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) will offer New England GreenStart, a 100% renewable energy product sourced from New England-based resources and currently consisting of small hydro (75%), biomass (19%), wind (5%), and solar (1%). CSG and CET customers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island now purchasing the GreenerWatts New England product will be switched to the new offering.
Going forward, CET will focus on marketing New England GreenStart in western Massachusetts and helping to secure new renewable energy sources from that area. Mass Energy and People's Power & Light will continue to provide overall administration and management of New England GreenStart as well as oversee the development of a marketing and outreach campaign to support the retail green power market. CSG will concentrate on its wholesale market activities, including building new PV plants throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, many of which will be supported by New England GreenStart customers.
News Article - 'Green' option offered to electricity consumers - No longer online at www.berkshireeagle.com
Mass Energy Contact: Larry Chretien (617) 524-3950
CSG Contact: Steve Cowell (508) 836-9500
CET Contact: Laura Dubester (413) 445-4556
People's Power & Light Contact: Erich Stephens (401) 861-6111
October 2004 - The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), which administers the state's Renewable Energy Trust, unveiled a new program designed to encourage consumers to purchase renewable energy. Under the Clean Energy Choice program, the MTC is providing up to $2.5 million annually in matching funds for green power purchases. For every dollar of premium that a consumer pays for green power, MTC will provide up to one dollar to the consumer's community for clean energy projects and up to one dollar for low-income citizens. MTC and its partners are also launching a campaign to inform consumers about green power options through radio advertisements, direct mail, newspaper articles and via the Internet.
A list of renewable energy product offerings is available on the Clean Energy Choice web site. Premiums paid for some offerings qualify for a federal tax deduction.
News Release - Energy Consumers Have A Powerful New Choice
MTC Media Contact: Chris Kealey (508) 870-0312
June 2004 - The Mass Energy Consumers Alliance announced that it has modified its New England Wind green power product, which is available to customers throughout New England. The product is now sold in 2-MWh blocks at a cost of $100, or a premium of 5¢/kWh. Customers purchasing New England Wind do not switch electricity providers but continue to pay their standard monthly electricity bill. Mass Energy supplies the product with renewable energy certificates sourced from a 660-kW wind turbine located in Hull, Massachusetts.
Mass Energy Contact: Larry Chretian 617-524-3950
September 2003 - Massachusetts Electric Company and Nantucket Electric Company, both electricity distribution subsidiaries of National Grid, announced the availability of new retail green power products for their Massachusetts customers. The GreenUp program offers products from four different green power suppliers, ranging in price from 1.2¢/kWh to 2.5¢/kWh above a customer's standard electricity rate. The products are blends of power from new and existing renewable energy resources.
News Release - Massachusetts Electric Offers Customers New Green Energy Program
News Release - Nantucket Electric Offers Customers New Green Energy Program
May 2003 - The Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance (Mass Energy) and People's Power and Light (PP&L) announced a new green power product for New England consumers to be supplied exclusively from New England-based wind farms. The two non-profit organizations are offering New England Wind, a Green-e certified renewable energy certificate product, in 150 kilowatt-hour (kWh) blocks for $5.25, or a premium of 3.5¢/kWh. Initially, the wind energy will be supplied from a 660-kW wind turbine located in Hull, MA. Current purchasers include the Boston Public Health Commission, the City of Newton, Clean Water Action, and the Sierra Club.
News Release - Mass Energy and People's Power & Light Introduce New England Wind, Region's First 100% Wind Product (PDF 200 KB) Download Acrobat Reader
Mass Energy Contact: Nicole Wobus (617) 524-3950
PP&L Contact: Erich Stephens (401) 487-3320
February 2002 - The Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance (Mass Energy), a heating oil cooperative serving Eastern and Central Massachusetts, is exploring opportunities for pooling consumer demand for green power. Partners in the effort include more than a dozen local cities and community organizations, such as the Boston Public Health Commission, Town of Brookline, City of Cambridge, City of Newton, Clean Water Action, Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), Massachusetts Climate Action Network, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, Sierra Club of Massachusetts, and Tufts Climate Initiative.
Mass Energy (formerly the Boston Oil Consumer's Alliance) has offered a green energy option to its members since December 1998. Co-op members can purchase 2,000-kWh annual blocks of Sun Power Electric's ReGen product at a cost of $6 per month. The green power is supplied from solar and landfill gas facilities in New England.
Mass Energy Contact: Nicole R. Wobus
February 1999 - Mass Energy (formerly Boston Oil Consumers Alliance), a heating oil cooperative serving Eastern and Central Massachusetts, is purchasing green power for its members. In December 1998, the group established a "Green Electric Co-op" to obtain renewable electricity at discounted prices. The co-op is currently purchasing renewable energy from Sun Power Electric, the state's only green power provider, at a 25% discount. With the discount, co-op members can sign up to purchase 2,000-kWh annual blocks of green power for $6 a month, a price premium of 3.6¢/kWh. After two months of marketing, which has consisted of informational mailings, nearly 2% of Mass Energy's 6,000 members have signed up for the renewable upgrade service.
Mass Energy Contact: Nicole Wobus (617) 524-3950
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