SAN FRANCISCO, CA - California policy makers are being urged to reinstate electric choice for the hundreds of thousands of Californians who want cleaner electricity. The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) called on Governor Gray Davis and the legislature to pass new legislation amending AB1X, the bill passed in February effectively preventing retail customers from choosing cleaner renewable sources of electricity generation.

"Renewable power is being held hostage by the electricity crisis, when it should be viewed as part of the solution to the crisis," said Meredith Wingate, Green-e Program Manager. "Municipalities, government agencies, and green power aggregators want cleaner electricity options. Their purchasing power can bring new renewable generation into the state, ease supply constraints and reduce the impact of electricity generation on the environment."

The legislature can address the issue through "clean-up" bills to AB1X that would allow green power choice for residential and large commercial or government customers. CRS also called on the State Department of Water Resources to increase the amount of renewable power in its portfolio. Daniel Kirshner, Senior Economic Analyst at Environmental Defense noted, "A healthy portfolio of renewable power can increase the state's resiliency against volatile fossil fuel markets and other unforeseeable circumstances, such as drought, that affect state wholesale markets."

Prior to AB1X, green power aggregators made great strides in the green power market last year. The non-profit Episcopal Power and Light, for example, was successful in getting several hundred churches in California to switch to renewable power. "Electric choice is an important tool in our mission to protect God's creation." said the Reverend Sally Bingham, a priest at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. "Now that the religious community is informed and aware of the destruction caused by "dirty" power plants, we want clean renewable energy." Administered through CRS, Green-e is a program that certifies renewable electricity products and assures consumers that they dollars are supporting clean energy. Approximately 125,000 residential customers and 8,000 commercial customers were served by a Green-e certified product in 2000 in California. Green-e certified products in CA served approximately 1.4 million MWh of customer load and brought on approximately 36 MW of new renewable capacity.

About Green-e
The Green-e program is administered by the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). Based in San Francisco's Presidio, CRS is a non-profit organization that brings together diverse interests to preserve our environment, encourage sustainable economic growth, and promote clean energy for present and future generations. Dr. Jan Hamrin is the founder of CRS and serves as the organization's Executive Director. More information on CRS is available at www.resource-solutions.org.

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