Green Power Network Update - March 2012

DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation sent this bulletin at 04/05/2012 01:26 PM EDT
U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy The Green Power Network U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, The Green Power Network

March 2012

This update summarizes recent green power marketing activity, including news and information on competitive green power marketing, utility green pricing programs, renewable energy certificates, green power purchasing, and related market activity. Additional information on green power markets and products, as well as links to the companies mentioned below, can be found on the U.S. Department of Energy's Green Power Network website.
Announcement News Renewable Energy RFPs


Announcement


Webinar - Made with Renewable Energy: How and Why Companies are Labeling Consumer Products


April 26, 2012
2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. ET
(11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. PT)

Green marketing — a marketing strategy highlighting the environmental attributes of a product, often through the use of labels or logos — dates back to the 1970s. It did not proliferate until the 1990s, however, when extensive market research identified a rapidly growing group of consumers with a heightened concern for the environment.

This webinar will discuss the experience of companies that communicate to consumers that their products are 'made with renewable energy.' Jenny Heeter will highlight the findings of NREL's recent report, Made with Renewable Energy: How and Why Companies are Labeling Consumer Products, which gathered insights from 20 companies. Orrin Cook, Center for Resource Solutions, will highlight the use of the Green-e logo. Laura Thompson, Sappi Paper, will discuss her company's use of labeling. Finally, Angelika Pullen, WindMade, will provide an overview of the new WindMade labeling initiative.

 

News


Viridian Energy to Launch Green Power in Massachusetts

Viridian Energy will launch its green energy services for Massachusetts customers beginning June 1, 2012. Viridian plans to offer energy services to National Grid and NStar customers, which comprise over 90 percent of Massachusetts's electric consumers. Massachusetts will become the 7th state to be provided with energy services from Viridian. The company offers a 20 percent locally produced renewable energy option, Everyday Green, and a 100 percent renewable wind energy option, Pure Green.

NativeEnergy and 25 Organizations Provide Upfront Funding

NativeEnergy and twenty-five organizations are collaborating to help build the 3.2 megawatt (MW) Iowa Farms Wind Project. Through the purchase of NativeEnergy's Help Build carbon offsets, the companies provide upfront funding for construction and development of projects. Organizations purchase the carbon credits that a project is estimated to generate over a fixed period, typically 10 years, and receive a share of the project's long-term verified carbon reductions after they are generated. The organizations are also sponsoring the Wewoka Biogas Project, located in Oklahoma, and the Northeast Farm Separation Project, located in Pennsylvania.

The participating organizations include: eBay, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Esurance, Eileen Fisher, Clif Bar, Comedy Central, ABR, Inc., AllPack, Aveda, Ben & Jerry's, National Geographic, The Brick Companies, Brighter Planet, Carlisle & Company, College of the Atlantic, Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run, Designtex, Eco Products, Pax World, Presidio, Reverb, RLP Capital, Touring Green, and Vital Choice.

Illinois Communities Opt for Community Choice Aggregation

More than 200 northern Illinois communities now have the option to select an electricity supplier other than the current electricity supplier, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), after voting to approve community choice aggregation (CCA) referendums. CCA allows local governments to aggregate electricity demand within their jurisdictions in order to procure alternative energy supplies while maintaining existing transmission and distribution services. While not all of the communities will select a renewable energy supplier, there is interest among some communities.

On April 2, the City of Park Ridge, Illinois is expected to vote on a resolution that will give residents the option to purchase 7 percent to 100 percent renewable energy. Customers will receive a notice in the mail and they will have 21 days to decide if they want to remain with ComEd or another electricity provider, and it is expected that the switch from ComEd will occur in June 2012. Park Ridge is part of a suburban consortium that selected Chicago-based mc2 Energy Services as the preferred alternative retail electric provider.

In January 2012, the Village of Oak Park, Illinois launched a 100 percent green power option for its residents and small businesses, through a 2-year contract with Integrys Energy Services.

Washington D.C. Community Groups Unite to Purchase Green Power

More than 100 community and religious groups in the Washington D.C. area have joined forces to reduce their electricity costs and increase renewable energy usage through group electricity purchasing. The community power efforts were organized by Groundswell, a Washington-based non-profit organization, who facilitated the collective buying power of the organizations to purchase electricity at reduced rates.

The participating groups recently selected Clean Currents to supply electricity for the community power initiative. Clean Currents is offering several electricity options for the coalition, including options to purchase 100 percent wind power.

DOE Announces Startup of Biomass Cogeneration Facility

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the operational startup of the Savannah River Site (SRS) Biomass Cogeneration Facility, a new 20 megawatt renewable energy facility located in South Carolina. The facility will primarily use local forest residue, wood chips, and bio-derived fuels.

In 2009, the DOE agreed to an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) with Ameresco to finance, design, construct, operate, maintain, and fuel the SRS Biomass Cogeneration Facility under a 20-year fixed price contract valued at $795 million. The facility replaces coal and oil-fired burners; the replacement will generate about $944 million savings in energy, operation and maintenance costs over the duration of the contract.

Marin Energy Authority (CA) Expands Renewable Content of Offer

Marin Energy Authority (MEA), a community choice aggregation program, has nearly doubled the renewable energy content of its Light Green power option. Marin Clean Energy (MCE), overseen by MEA, increased the renewable energy content of its Light Green power product from 27 to 50 percent. In addition to the Light Green power option, MCE customers may also opt for Deep Green, MCE's 100 percent renewable energy product.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partnership ranked MEA 12th on its Top 20 Local Government rankings. MEA also qualified for the EPA Green Power Leadership Club which recognizes organizations that have significantly exceeded EPA's minimum green power purchase requirements.

Solar Garden Planned for Poudre Valley REA (CO)

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association (PVREA) and the Clean Energy Collective (CEC) of Carbondale, Colorado entered a power purchase agreement (PPA) that will launch PVREA's community solar program with a solar garden at the PVREA headquarters located near Windsor, Colorado. Construction of the solar garden is scheduled to begin in late spring 2012 and will be funded by CEC.

The solar garden will be comprised of more than 400 panels, generating a total of 115 kilowatts of renewable electricity. Once the project is complete, PVREA members may purchase solar panels for $618 per panel and will receive monthly bill credits for the electricity produced by their solar panels. Monthly credits for the generated solar electricity will be equal to the residential rate, which is currently 8.7 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Under the PPA, the solar garden may be expanded up to 2 megawatts as new members join.

IKEA Continues Renewable Energy Efforts

IKEA has installed a 1,196 kilowatt solar system that is expected to generate nearly 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity each year in College Park, Maryland. The College Park installation is the 15th completed solar energy project for IKEA in the U.S., with 22 additional solar projects underway. IKEA contracted with REC Solar for design and installation of the College Park system. This latest solar system contributes to IKEA's goal of increasing its total U.S. solar generation to 30.8 megawatts.

IKEA's renewable energy progress was further detailed with the release of the company's 2011 Sustainability Report, which highlighted the company's green power efforts. From September 2010 to August 2011 IKEA allocated about $670 million to be invested in renewable energy projects over the next 1.5 years. The report also highlighted the completion of a geothermal energy project at the company's Denver, Colorado store.

 

Renewable Energy RFPs


Deadline: April 16, 2012

Commonwealth Edison RFP seeking suppliers to deliver 1,335,673 MWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated by renewable energy resources as defined in Illinois Pubic Act 95-0481, for the compliance period June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013.
Contact: ComEdPA@nera.com

Deadline: April 20, 2012

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) RFI seeking vendor proposals related to the future implementation of innovative early-commercial renewable technology projects to be located on APS customer sites and on the customer side of the electric meter. Technologies that will be considered include, but are not limited to, concentrating photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, unique end-use tracking applications, building integrated products, pole-mounted PV, thermal storage and waste-to-energy.
Contact: Paul Baker

Deadline: April 20, 2012

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) RFP seeks Federal agencies interested in meeting their renewable energy goals and mandates, improving the environment and supporting nation energy security to join the 2012 renewable energy certificate (REC) solicitation. WAPA will competitively procure RECs with the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Emergency Management Program (FEMP), covering the administrative cost of the solicitation, a savings that will accrue to the participants.
Contact: Randy Manion, 720-962-7423

Deadline: April 27, 2012

The California Department of General Services (DGS) RFQ (Bid # 1202-024) seeking interested solar PV developers for the establishment of a new list of qualified bidders for subsequent RFQs.

Deadline: April 30, 2012

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) RFP seeking competitive proposals for the complete development, construction and startup of a 14 MW utility-scale photovoltaic solar facility. This project will be financed through the APS AZ Sun Program. (PDF 304 KB)

Deadline: May 10, 2012

Ameren Illinois RFP seeking suppliers to deliver 523,376 MWh of renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated by renewable energy resources as defined in Illinois Pubic Act 95-0481, for the compliance period June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013.
Contact: John Bitler, 617-531-2818 ext. 22

Deadline: May 24, 2012

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) RFP seeking qualified parties for power purchase agreements (PPAs) to design, permit, finance, install, own, operate, and maintain photovoltaic power generation facilities on MBTA properties. The solar installations will be located at the Wonderland Station Parking Garage in Revere, Massachusetts, and at Readville Yard 5, in Dedham, Massachusetts. The minimum annual generating capacity of the PV systems is 200 kW for the Wonderland Garage site, and 2.3 MW for the Readville Yard 5 site.
Contact: Phil Jean, 617-482-2525

Deadline: June 4, 2012

Holy Cross Energy (HCE) RFP seeking to purchase energy and renewable energy certificates (RECs) from two solar facilities, each with an AC capacity of 100 to 300 kW. Facilities must be located within HCE's service territory and only projects with a levelized cost at or below $130/MWh (including RECs) will be considered.
Contact: Chris Hildred

Deadline: June 5, 2012

New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) RFP seeking proposals from qualified contractors to develop facilities demonstrating the application of new and emerging technology in the processing of DSNY managed waste. Eligible proposers must demonstrate a proven, reliable, cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally sound conversion technology that uses waste collected by DSNY as a feedstock for generating renewable energy.
Contact: Kathleen Feeney, 212-437-5057

A complete list of active RFPs can found on our Financial Opportunities page.

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