Renewable Energy Market Principles
- Energy Attribute Certificates
- This page provides an overview about energy attribute certificates (EACs), which are a contractual instrument to convey information about a unit of energy, including the resource used to create the energy and its associated emissions. EACs are essential to substantiate claims made by energy providers and consumers.
- Market Instruments
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This webpage provides an overview of the two major market instruments that track and substantiate emissions reductions in the U.S. market:
- Renewable energy certificates (RECs)—used to manage indirect emissions.
- Carbon offsets—used to reduce direct global emissions.
- Environmental Claims
- These webpages outline issues to consider when making green power use claims. Additional pages provide further guidance on making claims and include discussion about solar use claims.
- Regulatory Surplus
- When buyers of electricity want to purchase or generate renewable electricity that goes above and beyond what is currently available in their standard electricity mix (or what the law requires to meet a compliance obligation), that is regulatory surplus. This webpage provides information on regulatory surplus.
- Double-Counting
- This web area outlines the market and legal problems that can occur when two parties count/claim or sell the same MWh. These pages detail why double counting is an issue and how to avoid it.
- Consumer Leadership
- These pages illustrate how to think about leadership and impact of green power. Besides the purchase and generation of green power, there are other behaviors that can have tremendous positive impact on ensuring a robust renewable energy future.