Green Up FAQ
Program Terms and Conditions
Is Green Up certified?
Yes. Green Up is certified by the Green-e Renewable Energy Program. The Green-e Program certifies that Green Up meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards established by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions.
For more information contact:
Green-e
Presidio Building 97
Arguello Avenue, PO Box 29512
San Francisco, CA 94129
Toll free 1-888-63-GREEN
www.green-e.org
Do I have to participate in Green Up?
No. Your participation in the Green Up Program is voluntary and you may cancel your Green Up purchase at any time by contacting City Light.
Who is my Green Up provider?
Seattle City Light
Who should I contact for more information on Green Up?
Green Up customer service line: 206-684-8822
Email: greenup@seattle.gov
I want to sign up! How will I be billed?
The cost of Green Up will be added to your regular Seattle City Light electricity bill.
How much will my bill go up?
Residential customers are billed $3, $6 or $12 per month, corresponding to 25%, 50% and 100% Green Up options. Non-residential customers are billed a flat monthly amount they choose based on 1.5 cents/kWh.
How much will my total electricity service cost?
The average residential customer bill for two months of service is $100. Your bill may be less or more depending on your electricity use. Green Up adds $6, $12 or $24 to your bimonthly residential bill. For commercial customers the amount added to your bill will depend on the percentage of your annual usage that you decide to "green up".
Will my rates change over time?
Seattle City Light lowered regular electricity rates in January 2007. We have no plans for changes to regular rates or Green Up rates in the near future.
Is there a minimum time requirement for participating in Green Up?
No. However, from time to time Seattle City Light offers special rewards for signing up and we may ask for a minimum voluntary time commitment.
If I want to quit Green Up is there a termination fee?
No. Green Up is voluntary and you may join or leave the program by contacting City Light at any time.
What other fees might I be charged?
None.
What green power resources will be used in Green Up?
The new renewable energy resources used in Green Up are 100% wind and are fully described in the Green Up Product Content Label.
Renewable Energy Credits
What are Renewable Energy Credits?
"Renewable Energy Credits", also called "Certificates" (RECs), or "green tags" are created when a qualifying renewable energy facility generates electricity, and represent the broad environmental and economic benefits of green power. RECs are sold separately from commodity power and provide customers a means to green their power supply at a low premium rate. RECs allow customers to purchase green power whether or not they have access to renewable electricity generation and without having to switch electricity suppliers.
When you sign up for Green Up you are purchasing RECs equivalent to a percentage of your electricity usage.
How does buying Renewable Energy Credits help increase the amount of renewable energy?
In most electricity markets, new clean, renewable energy costs more to produce than fossil fuel energy. This difference is primarily due to subsidies that fossil fuel industries receive. However, to remain competitive, renewable energy producers must sell their energy to the grid at conventional market prices. All electricity is the same once it hits the grid, so traditionally consumers have not seen any reason to pay more when fossil fuel energy turns on the lights the same way that wind energy does.
One solution to help open the market to renewable technologies is the sale of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). A green energy provider (such as the Stateline Wind Farm) is credited with one REC for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours or 1 megawatt-hour of electricity it produces. (For reference, an average residential customer consumes approximately 800 kWh in a month.) An independent agency (such as the Center for Resource Solution through their Green-e program) verifies and certifies the renewable energy product. The green energy is then fed into the electrical grid and the accompanying REC can then be sold to customers separately from the power generated.
By purchasing a REC (through Green Up) to cover your energy consumption, you are paying the difference between market rate and the production rate, allowing more clean power producers to enter the competitive marketplace. You are purchasing all legal rights to the benefits renewable energy creates - namely the pollution avoided (carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and particulate matter) and the economic benefit to rural communities that are often the homes to these technologies. While these may not be benefits to which we can physically claim ownership, the social impact is huge. By purchasing RECs you are helping generate a market for clean, renewable technologies here in the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks to the UMD Students for Clean Energy for their layman's definition of RECs.
|
