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July 2006 - Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power Company, an investor-owned utility serving approximately 80,000 residents in southeast Wyoming, unveiled a green power offering under which customers can purchase 100-kWh monthly blocks of renewable energy for $3.50 or 3.5¢/kWh. The Renewable Premium Program is being offered in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The funds collected will support current and future renewable energy projects, as well as customer awareness activities.
News Article - City's Trash to Go Green
News Article - Utility's Customers May Pay to Go Green
September 2005 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit marketer of green energy, introduced a new Green-e certified renewable energy certificate (REC) product that includes a larger amount of solar energy than its Cooler Future Green Tags product. The Brighter Future Green Tags product is a blend of 10% new solar energy from photovoltaic systems and 90% new wind energy sourced from projects in the 15 Western states and provinces. The product is sold in 1,000-kWh increments for $24, or 2.4¢/kWh. BEF introduced the new product in response to increased demand for solar-generated RECs.
News Release - Sunny Outlook for Solar Green Tags: Bonneville Environmental Foundation Blends in More Solar for Its New "Brighterfuture" Green Tag Product
August 2005 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that artists participating in the Vote for Change concert tour, including Bonnie Raitt, the Dave Matthews Band, REM, and Pearl Jam, are supporting the development of eight small-scale renewable energy projects in the states they visited during their concert tour last fall. The first 1.1-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system was recently installed at the Orlo Vista school in Orlando, FL.
While several of the participating bands have purchased carbon offsets for prior tours, the artists decided to support renewable energy projects in the states they visited as a more visible and tangible demonstration of their commitment to addressing global warming and promoting a clean and sustainable energy future, as well as to thank the fans who supported the tour. BEF is managing the Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project on behalf of the contributing artists.
News Release - Coalition of Artists Leaves a Legacy of Solar Power: Orlando Elementary School First of Eight Sites to Receive Renewable Energy Systems Funded by the Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project
News Release - Vote for Change Artists Give Back to Communities
BEF Contact: Bill Jeppesen, Effective PR, Inc. (916) 941-7553
Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project Contact: Nicole Vandenberg, Vandenberg Communications (206) 447-1801
February 2005 - In one of the largest renewable energy commitments from a college or university, the board of trustees of Western Washington University (WWU) approved a student fee that will pay for the purchase of renewable energy for nearly all of the university's electricity needs, which total about 33 million kWh annually. The trustee action follows passage of a green energy initiative by 85% of student voters in spring 2004. The board approval enables university officials to begin negotiating with Puget Sound Energy to purchase the green power, which is supplied through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The WWU purchase is expected to increase the utility's green power sales by about 50%.
News release - WWU Trustees Approve Green Energy Fee: Western Set to Become a National Leader in Renewable Energy
News Article - Western gets green light for power
WWU Contacts:
Tim Wynn, WWU Facilities Management, (360) 650-3496
Rachel Zommick, Associated Students president, (360) 650-3265
December 2004 - Park Electric Cooperative, a distribution co-op serving nearly 3,500 customers in southwestern Montana, is offering a renewable energy option under which its customers can purchase renewable energy for all of their electricity needs at a premium of 1.2¢/kWh above standard rates. The program is supplied by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation with "green tags" derived from wind (<98%), solar (>1%), and biomass (>1%) energy projects located in the Pacific Northwest. Participating customers are required to enroll for a minimum of one year.
Park Electric Contact: Toni Cody (406) 222-3100
October 2004 - At a ceremony held during the Ninth National Green Power Marketing Conference in Albany, New York, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued Green Power Leadership Awards to 19 purchasers and six suppliers. The awards are designed to recognize the actions of individuals, companies, and organizations that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through voluntary green power markets.
Among green power purchasers, Montgomery County (Maryland), Staples Inc., Silk, Clif Bar, and the U.S. General Services Administration received Green Power Partner of the Year Awards—the highest purchasing honor given. In addition, the following purchasers were recognized for their substantial green power purchase commitments: Salt Lake City, Johnson & Johnson, New York Municipal Wind Buyers Group, College of the Atlantic, Whole Foods, Interface, Inc., Alterra Coffee Roasters, Lundberg Family Farms, Edwards Air Force Base, Harbec Plastics, California State University at Hayward, Mauna Lani Resort, Rodney Strong Vineyards, and the City and County of San Francisco, Moscone Convention Center.
Among green power suppliers, Austin Energy received the Green Power Program of the Year award, the highest honor. Lenox Municipal Utilities, PaloAltoGreen, Calpine, The Energy Cooperative of Pennsylvania, and PPM Energy, Inc. were also recognized for their substantial achievements as green power suppliers.
The Center for Resource Solutions issued recognition awards for outstanding leadership in building and shaping the market for renewable energy. Green Power Market Development Awards were presented to the following individuals and organizations: Western Washington Green Power Campaign, World Resources Institute, and Rob Harmon of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Honorable Mention awards were presented to the Maine Green Power Connection, and Alan Apt and Jim Welch of Fort Collins, Colorado.
News Release - 2004 Green Power Leadership Award Winners EPA, DOE, CRS To Honor National Green Power Leaders September 2004 - Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish County Public Utility District and Tacoma Power announced that the three utilities have together garnered more than 4,300 new green pricing customers as a result of a joint, 10-week public information campaign. The campaign, which kicked off on April 15th, involved television ads, the Internet and permission-based email, coupled with utility bill inserts and free coffee products from Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters. Other partners in the outreach campaign included Belo Marketing Solutions, which coordinated the media efforts, and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
News Release - "I Want My GPT!" (Green Power Too) Say Thousands of Puget Sound-Region Utility Customers - Results of Recent Green Power Public Information Campaign Confirm: Utility Green Power Programs are Working, Wanted and Worthwhile
September 2004 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that it will expand the scope of its Northwest Solar Cooperative, a program that directly supports the development of new solar power projects in the Pacific Northwest. BEF has entered into an agreement with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to sell the output of another 75 kW of solar systems in the region to meet growing demand for green energy from the utility's green pricing program. The Northwest Solar Cooperative pays qualifying homeowners and businesses up to 10¢/kWh for the "green tags" produced by their on-site solar power systems. To date, the cooperative has enrolled more than 120 kW of solar energy capacity in the program, including facilities in Oregon and Washington.
PSE currently has more than 13,000 customers participating in its green pricing program, a 50% increase from a year ago.
News Release - Solar Electricity Projects Feel the Power of Puget Sound Energy's Green Tag Purchase Plans
June 2004 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that it has agreed to purchase a renewable energy product from Vision Quest, a division of TransAlta Energy Corporation based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Under the two-year agreement, BEF will purchase "Green Tags" created from wind projects owned and operated by Vision Quest at various locations throughout Canada. Vision Quest facilities and products are certified in both Canada and the United States. BEF plans to offer the "Green Tags" to businesses and utilities in both countries, opening up the market for cross-border sales of renewable energy.
News Release - Canadian "Green Tags" Flow To U.S. Distributor
BEF Media Contact: Bill Jeppesen (916) 941-7553
Vision Quest Media Contact: Jason Edworthy (403) 532-4265
April 2004 - Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish County Public Utility District, and Tacoma Power have teamed on the development of a public information campaign to encourage electricity customers to purchase green power. The integrated campaign combines television, Internet, permission-based e-mail, and utility bill inserts to increase consumer awareness of and customer signups for the utilities' green pricing programs.
Program participants pay a modest premium, usually $3 to $6 a month, to support the generation of new renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest. The campaign was conceived from market research indicating that customer interest in green power is very high but awareness of the utility programs is low. The campaign is designed to reach more than two-thirds of western Washington's population. Olympia-based Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, which purchases green power to supply its own operations, will contribute coffee and mugs to the first 3,000 customers who sign up in response to the campaign. The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is also a campaign partner.
News Release - Puget Sound Region's Electric Utilities Give Green Light to Green Power Campaign
Puget Sound Energy Contact: Mike Richardson, (425) 456-2839
Snohomish PUD Contact: Bob Nicholas, (425) 783-1778
Tacoma Power Contact: Mark Aalfs, (253) 502-8939
BEF Contact: Tom Starrs (503) 248-1905
February 2004 - Expressing concern that global warming threatens the livelihood of the ski industry, its employees, and quality of life more generally, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) is teaming with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to reduce global warming emissions using a variety of measures including green power purchases and on-site renewable energy use. The NSAA reports that member ski resorts are employing renewable energy in a number of different ways, including using wind energy to power chair lifts, purchasing renewable energy credits to offset a portion of their electricity use, and using solar energy for heating or to generate electricity on-site.
Among the green power marketers supplying ski resorts around the country are Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Community Energy, Inc., Green Mountain Energy Company, and NativeEnergy.
News Release - Keep Winter Cool: Ski Areas Team With Conservation Group to Fight Global Warming
News Release - Renewable Energy Becomes Key Component of National Ski Areas' Sustaianbility Program
News Release - Wind Power Helps Ski Resorts "Keep Winter Cool"
News Release - Green Mountain Energy Company Gives a "Lift" To Ski Industry's Global Warming Campaign
News Release - Smugglers' Notch and NativeEnergy announce SkiCool(sm) program to help fight Global Warming (PDF 120 KB) Download Acrobat Reader
NSAA Contact: Geraldine Link, (720) 963-4205
November 2003 - The City of Ashland (OR) and the nonprofit Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) have teamed to offer the city's electricity customers a new green power option. Under the Renewable Pioneers program, residents and businesses can support local and regional renewable energy development by purchasing Green Tags directly from BEF at a cost of 2¢/kWh. Ten percent of the revenues from green tags sales to Ashland residents and businesses will be used to fund solar projects within the city. Program participants will see no change in their utility bills because the green tags purchase is a separate transaction with BEF. The new program replaces Ashland's Solar Pioneers program.
News Release - New "Renewable Pioneers" Program Delivers Local Solar Project to Ashland
Contacts:
Pat Nye (866) 233-8247, BEF Director of Sales
Paige Prewett (541) 855-5200, BEF Ashland Outreach Coordinator
Dick Wanderscheid (541) 552-2061, City of Ashland Director of Electric Utilities
September 2003 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that Oregon State University (OSU) has committed to purchase 5 million kWh of green power over the next four years. Under the agreement, the university will purchase "green tags" from BEF representing the energy output of wind and solar facilities in the Pacific Northwest. The purchase was made possible through a state policy that allows large customers, like OSU, to self-direct a portion of their state-mandated public purpose charge payments to support specific renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. The university and BEF also plan to site a small renewable energy project, such as a solar photovoltaic array, on the campus.
News Release - Oregon State University Commits to Supporting Renewable Energy for the Next Four Years
News Release - OSU to Direct Funds Into Renewable Energy Program
BEF Contact: Pat Nye (503) 248-1904
Oregon State University Contact: Brandon Trelstad (541) 737-3307
July 2003 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that Luzenac America, Inc. has purchased renewable energy certificates to offset 100% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its electrical energy use at the Yellowstone Talc Mine in Montana. The certificates, or "green tags," represent more than 1.7 million kWh of renewable energy generated from wind energy sources in the region.
News Release - Luzenac America Offsets 100% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated With Electrical Energy Use at Yellowstone Talc Mine
March 2003 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that Interface Fabrics Group, a supplier of fabrics for commercial interiors based in Guilford, Maine, has agreed to purchase wind energy certificates equivalent to 10% of the electricity used at its Maine and Massachusetts facilities. Under the agreement with BEF, the company will purchase 12.5 million kWh of "green tags" over five years.
Interface Fabrics Group, which is a division of Interface, Inc., derives almost 90% of its thermal needs from biomass or waste wood chips.
News Release - Bonneville Environmental Foundation Announces Wind Energy Purchase By Interface Fabrics Group
BEF Contact: Pam Field (503) 248-1905
February 2003 - White Wave, a leading manufacturer of soy milk and other soy-based foods, announced that it has contracted to purchase wind energy certificates equivalent to 100% of the electricity used in its manufacturing operations. The company will purchase a total of 20 million kilowatt-hours of "green tags" this year from two renewable energy suppliers — Renewable Choice Energy and Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The White Wave commitment represents the largest single U.S. purchase of wind energy to supply a company's entire electricity needs.
The wind energy will be supplied from wind farms in several different states, including Iowa, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. The company estimates that the wind energy purchase will increase its expenses by several hundred thousand dollars per year. White Wave is also encouraging consumers to purchase wind energy by providing links off of their corporate Web site.
News Release - White Wave Invests in Wind to Fuel Soy Manufacturing
News Article - Soy company to reap power from the wind - No longer online at denverpost.com
News Article - Boulder's White Wave has gone with the wind - No longer online at rockymountainnews.com
News Article - White Wave lifted by wind - No longer online at dailycamera.com
News Article - White Wave invests in wind energy
More Information - White Wave Is Putting Wind to Work
January 2003 - Maine Interfaith Power & Light (MIP&L) announced the availability of two green power products for electricity customers in Maine. The first product is a blend of power from existing small hydropower facilities (50% or more) and wood-fired generators located in the state. The power will be supplied by Maine Renewable Energy at a premium of about 1.5¢/kwh above the standard-offer rate charged in most parts of the state. Thus, a customer using 500 kWh per month would pay an extra $7.50 per month for the product. Customers who choose this option must switch from their current electricity supplier and enter into a service contract until February 2005. MIPL is hoping to obtain 1,000 customers for this offering.
Under the second option, customers can purchase "green tags" from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation in increments of 1,000 kWh for $20, or 2¢/kWh. The green tags represent the environmental attributes of power generated from new solar and wind facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Under this option, customers are not required to switch electricity providers or enter into long-term service contracts. Purchases of the green tags are also tax deductible.
MIP&L will set aside a minimum of 20% of its revenues from the sale of green power to support the development of new, clean power sources in Maine, such as solar electric systems installed on local churches.
News Release - Competitive Energy Services Announces New "Green" Power Option for Maine Residential and Small Businesses Consumers
News Article - Maine utility shows faith in 'green power'
MIP&L Contact: Erica Morgan (207) 729-9665
Maine Renewable Energy Contact: Richard Silkman (207) 772-6190
June 2002 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation announced that it has reached agreements with Xantrex Technology Inc. and Schott Applied Power to supply 5% of each company's green power purchases with "green tags" created from 80 kW of new solar photovoltaics (PV) systems. In April, BEF announced a partnership with Northwest Renewable Energy Cooperative (NWREC) under which NWREC will enter into three-year contracts with photovoltaic (PV) system owners and pay them 10¢/kWh for the environmental attributes of the power produced by the systems.
News Release - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation Provides Economic Stimulus to Install New Solar
BEF Contact: Pam Field (503) 248-1905
June 2002 - Energy Northwest announced the completion of a new 38.7-kW photovoltaic (PV) system that will supply a portion of the power for green pricing programs offered by Clark Public Utilities and Puget Sound Energy. Under the agreement, Energy Northwest will own and operate the system, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will add the power to its system mix, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) will market "green tags" representing the environmental attributes of the solar output to utilities and other customers.
News Release - Largest Photovoltaic Solar Power Facility in the Northwest Now in Operation (PDF 32 KB) Download Acrobat Reader
Energy Northwest Contact: Gary Miller (509) 377-8728
April 2002 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the Northwest Renewable Energy Cooperative (NWREC) announced a partnership that will support the development of small solar installations throughout Oregon and Washington. Under the agreement, NWREC will enter into three-year contracts with photovoltaic (PV) system owners and pay them 10¢/kWh for the environmental attributes of the power produced by the systems. BEF will purchase the "green tags" for resale to its wholesale and retail customers. In the first phase of the project, the organizations hope to support the development of up to 30 solar systems.
BEF is also teaming with a new cooperative to support the development of farm-scale wind turbines in the Pacific Northwest. Under the arrangement with Our Wind Co-op, BEF will provide an upfront payment to turbine owners equivalent to approximately one-third the cost of the turbines and will recover its investment by selling "Green Co-op Tags," representing the environmental attributes of the wind energy generated. Initially, the groups will support the installation of ten, 10-kW systems.
BEF also maintains a CO2 calculator that allows individuals and small businesses to determine the carbon impacts of their energy use and travel.
News Release - BEF Stimulates New Small Solar Projects with Advance Purchase of Green Tags: New Program will Kick-start Solar Throughout the Region
News Release - Northwest Non-Profit Groups Launch Wind Co-op
News Release - Bonneville Environmental Foundation Launches Web Based CO2 Calculator
BEF Contact: Pam Field (503) 248-1905
NWREC Contact: Doug Boleyn (503) 655-1617
Our Wind Co-op Contact: Heather Rhoads-Weaver (206) 328-2441
September 2001 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation announced that it is teaming with The Climate Trust to purchase more than $200,000 worth of green power over the next 10 years from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The two organizations will purchase 36,500 MWh of green certificates, which represent the environmental benefits of power from an Oregon-based wind project, and hold the pollution offsets in trust so that they cannot be sold to companies to meet emissions caps. The Climate Trust will retire the CO2 offsets, which amount to 2,300 metric tons each year, while BEF will retire the remaining environmental attributes, including offsets for nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, mercury and other pollutants. BPA plans to use the revenues from its certificate sales to develop new renewable energy projects in the Pacific Northwest.
In related news, BEF is now selling green certificates (or "green tags") on the Internet. Each green tag represents 1 MWh of green power and is sold for $20, with a minimum purchase requirement of two certificates. Large purchasers may be able to negotiate discounted rates. Currently, the certificates represent output from the Wyoming-based, Foote Creek Rim wind project, but new wind and solar resources may be used to create certificates in the future. Certificate payments are tax-deductible and BEF reinvests any profits from certificate sales in the development of new renewable resources.
News Release - Environmental Nonprofits Creatively Finance Wind Power to Cut Carbon Dioxide
News Article - Bonneville Environmental Foundation Offers Green Tags for Individuals
BEF Contact: Angus Duncan (503) 248-1905
May 2001 - The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) signed an agreement to promote renewable power development through a new "green tags" program. Green tags, also called green certificates, represent the environmental attributes of power generated from renewable energy facilities. Under the agreement, BPA will sell the power from its renewable facilities at market rates, while BEF will sell green tags to cover the above-market costs of generating the renewable power. BEF will use the sales revenues to expand a $15 million fund earmarked for renewable resource development in the Pacific Northwest.
News Release - BPA, BEF Ink "Green Tag" Deal - No longer online at bpa.gov
BPA Contact: John Lebens (503) 230-3965
BEF Contact: Angus Duncan (503) 248-1905
April 2001 - The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) announced that it will supply green certificates to three companies with operations in the Pacific Northwest: Xantrex Technology, a leading supplier of inverters for renewable energy systems, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters of Olympia, and Global Energy Concepts, a Kirkland-based renewable energy consulting firm. Collectively, the companies will purchase green power certificates equivalent to 1.3 million kWh, which represents 100% of the electricity needs of their respective regional facilities. The power will be generated from new wind and solar power plants located in the Pacific Northwest.
News Release - Three Puget Sound Companies Plug in to 100% Green Energy
BEF Contact: Pam Field (503) 248-1905
May 2000 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has entered into an agreement with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to purchase power from new wind resources to supply a portion of the agency's Northwest power needs. EPA is negotiating a 10-year agreement with BEF to purchase about 2.1 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind power annually at a premium of 2.2¢/kWh. The premium will be used to support the installation and operation of at least one, new 700-kW wind turbine, which would generate enough power on an annual basis to serve EPA's Manchester Laboratory in Port Orchard, WA. Since its establishment in 1998, BEF has negotiated the sale of about 23 average MW of green power.
News Release - New Wind Turbine to be Built from EPA Agreement with Bonneville Environmental Foundation
News Release - Solar Power on the Kitsap Peninsula?
BEF Contact: Angus Duncan (503) 248-1905
May 1999 - According to Con.Web, the Pacific Northwest Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Newsletter, Orcas Power & Light, an electric cooperative serving Washington's San Juan Islands, has agreed to buy 0.5 MW of green power from the Bonneville Power Administration. The green power product is a mix of small hydro and wind energy. Participating customers can choose to purchase the green power in blocks of 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,000 kWh at a price premium of 3.5¢/kWh above the standard residential rate of 5.1¢/kWh.
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation assisted in negotiating the deal. Orcas is the third Northwest utility to buy green power through the Foundation, joining Emerald PUD and Snohomish County PUD.
News Release - Bonneville Environmental Foundation Notches Another Green Power Sale
January 1999 - Snohomish County Public Utility District #1 in Washington became the second utility to announce that it will purchase certified green power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). Snohomish has agreed to purchase 10 MW of power over two years. In July 1998, the Emerald People's Utility District near Eugene, Oregon agreed to a one year contract to purchase 3 MW of green power from BPA.
The green power will be supplied from small hydro (90%) and wind resources (10%) that have been officially endorsed by local environmental groups as "environmentally preferred." The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, an independent nonprofit foundation established by BPA and three environmental groups, will receive 60% of the above-market green power premium paid to BPA to support renewable energy projects in the Pacific Northwest.
News Release - Bonneville Environmental Foundation receives $1 million- No longer online bpa.gov
News Release - Wind, Water to Light Homes, Benefit Environment - No longer online bpa.gov
July 1998 - The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has teamed up with three environmental groups to form the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The groups have agreed to endorse power generation from "select, environmentally preferred resources," which BPA will market at a price premium. Initially, two hydropower projects will provide 20 average megawatts of power to the program. Power from new wind and geothermal projects will also go into the pool. Retired U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield will be the foundation's president.
News Release - Unique partnership will support fish and wildlife, new renewable energy resources - No longer online at bpa.gov
BEF Contact: Angus Duncan (503) 248-1905
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