Become part of North America's largest certification program for retail renewable energy products
Retail sellers of renewable energy can apply for Green-e® Energy certification of their products, including:
- Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) products available to residential, commercial, and wholesale customers. This category also includes a broker certification for transactions between renewable energy generators and end-use customers. Certification is also available to Green-e® Energy Federal Option products offered by existing participants to U.S. government agency clients purchasing renewable energy to meet Executive Order 13693.
- Utility Green Pricing Programs offered to residential and commercial customers in regulated markets or by monopoly utilities.
- Competitive Electricity Products offered by competitive electric service providers and municipal and community power programs in competitive markets. This certification is also for renewable electricity products sold to wholesale customers by sellers other than electric service providers.
- Community Choice Aggregation (or Municipal Choice ) Programs administered by a community that is contracting for its own power, often with the goal of saving money on electricity bills or increasing the renewable mix.
- Direct Purchases of renewable energy by a company, including power purchase agreements, onsite generation, carbon offset projects, and other bilateral agreements.
To Apply
To apply for Green-e® Energy certification, applicants must complete the following requirements.
- Review the Green-e® Renewable Energy Standard for Canada and the United States (formerly Green-e® Energy National Standard) and Green-e® Energy Code of Conduct (available at Green-e Energy Documents). The Standard outlines requirements for the renewable energy that can be included in a certified product. The Green-e® Energy Code of Conduct outlines requirements on how a certified product can be sold. Both documents are appendices to the Certification and Logo Use Agreement that Participants in the Green-e® Energy program must sign to attain certification of their renewable energy product.
- Complete Program Application. Reach out to your Green-e Energy Representative (based on region) or email energy@green-e.org to discuss certification and receive the Certification and Logo Use Agreement. To apply for certification, you must complete the appropriate sections of the Certification and Logo Use Agreement and appendices for your certification category (generally Appendices A–D).
- Green-e® Energy Certification Fees. Green-e® Energy fees must be paid at the time of certification and are assessed on a calendar year schedule thereafter. You will receive the Green-e® Fee Schedule with the Certification and Logo Use Agreement request.
Verification Process Audit and Marketing Compliance Review
Participants with Green-e® Energy certified products agree to undergo two annual processes: a Verification Process Audit in Spring, and a Marketing Compliance Review that takes place in August.
Verification Process Audit
The annual Verification Process Audit ensures the correct quantity and type of renewable energy were procured and retired to meet sales. As part of the audit, participants must complete an annual third-party verification audit of their renewable energy procurements and sales. It is required of all retail and wholesale participants. Audit requirements are summarized in the Green-e® Energy Code of Conduct, available in Green-e Energy Documents.
Marketing Compliance Review
The Marketing Compliance Review (MCR) is conducted by Green-e® Energy staff each August, and ensures that participants are abiding by program rules, especially those outlined in the Green-e® Energy Code of Conduct. During this review, Green-e® staff ensures that participants are not making false or misleading statements about their product and that they have made pricing, power, and contract disclosure to customers in a standardized format.
If you have any questions, or to submit an application, please contact us. You can find the appropriate Green-e® representative for your territory at Green-e Staff.