What are REC's, Renewable Energy Certificates?

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) were developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a method to help subsidize sustainable clean energy production facilities (wind, solar, biogas, biomass, geothermal, etc.) by allowing these facilities to separately sell the environmental benefits of each megawatt of energy produced in the form of a Renewable Energy Certificate.

By purchasing an REC you claim the environmental benefits of the Megawatt of “clean green sustainable energy” sold into the national grid, allowing you to offset your carbon footprint with the clean energy attributes. The revenue from your purchase of an REC helps to fund the expansion of clean energy facilities as well as the advanced technological research and development of alternative sustainable power sources.

All electrical energy, regardless of the source (e.g. coal, natural gas, renewables) is sold into the nation's power grid where it is comingled and then distributed to our nation’s homes, businesses and factories.  All of this energy is purchased by the nation's utility companies at market price, without regard to production source.  As a result, the nation relies primarily on "dirty" fossil fuel energy, rather than clean renewable energy which is much more expensive to produce and thus cannot compete against the economical, fossil fuels. 

Recognizing the need to stimulate the use of clean, renewable energy, in 2003 the EPA moved to balance the playing field through the creation of Renewable Energy Certificates, or REC’s. Each REC sold is audited and validated by a third party for ultimate sale to commercial or residential customers. 

REC’s represent the environmental benefits that emanate from each megawatt of clean, renewable energy sold into the nation's power grid.  The ability to sell the environmental benefits of clean power production, in addition to the sale of the power itself, provides additional revenue to the producers of clean, green, power.  This additional revenue, provided by customers who wish to use REC’s to offset their own use of the "dirty" energy they get from their utility, gives the producers the capital to expand their operations and produce more and more clean, renewable energy to replace that derived from fossil fuels and foreign oil.  Therefore, the success of the REC program will dramatically impact the amount of clean renewable energy produced in the future.

ZERO CARBON ALLIANCE offers affordable REC's for Americans to purchase and support the growth of GREEN energy in the USA. To learn more about how you can help America GO GREEN and how YOU CAN EARN extra income visit the Zero Carbon Alliance website.