Public Interest Colaitiona Unveils Green-e Renewable Electricity Branding Program
September 22, 1997
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In a groundbreaking effort, California environmental and consumer protection interests today launched the Green-e Renewable Electricity Branding Program. The Program is the country's first voluntary certification and verification program for environmentally-preferred electricity products. The Green-e Logo -- used by participating power marketers to signify renewable energy electricity products that meet stringent consumer and environmental protection criteria -- will soon appear on marketers' promotional offerings being sent to Californians.
The Program's launch coincides with the January 1, 1998, opening of California's 11 million household retail electricity market to competition. "Californians soon will have the power to choose, and many will want to make a choice that makes a difference," said Jan Hamrin, executive director of the Center for Resource Solutions. "By choosing electricity products with the Green-e logo, Californians will purchase at least four times more renewable energy than is in the current mix, dramatically reduce air pollution, and remain confident that they are getting what they are paying for," said Hamrin.
The Green-e Logo was developed to help consumers easily identify electricity products with a verified high percentage of renewable electricity content. Pilot programs allowing customers to choose their electricity in New Hampshire and Massachusetts show that a significant proportion want to purchase power with environmental benefits. Almost one-third of customers participating in the Massachusetts program opted for sources marketed as "green" power. However, disputes over the accuracy of claims made by some companies in the Northeast raised serious concerns. "As it turned out, one person's 'green' is another person's 'brown' and many critics, including environmentalists like myself, starting seeing red," commented Karl Rábago, energy policy director with the Environmental Defense Fund who sits on the governing board for the Green-e Program.
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