Marin Energy Authority (CA) Expands Renewable Content of Offer
April 10, 2012 -- Marin Energy Authority (MEA), a community choice aggregation program, has nearly doubled the renewable energy content of its Light Green power option. Marin Clean Energy (MCE), overseen by MEA, increased the renewable energy content of its Light Green power product from 27 to 50 percent. In addition to the Light Green power option, MCE customers may also opt for Deep Green, MCE's 100 percent renewable energy product.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partnership ranked MEA 12th on its Top 20 Local Government rankings. MEA also qualified for the EPA Green Power Leadership Club which recognizes organizations that have significantly exceeded EPA's minimum green power purchase requirements. The Marin Energy Authority says it has nearly doubled the renewable-energy content of one of its services, a result that the agency says lends credence to its opposition to Pacific Gas & Electric.
Marin Clean Energy’s Light Green power product (overseen by MEA) increased its renewable content from 27 to 50 percent, supporting MEA’s efforts to shift away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives.
“MEA has found opportunities to buy more renewable energy in the market for our customers and we are also engaged in additional procurement activities right now to get more renewable energy into our mix,” said MEA board member and San Rafael Councilman Damon Connolly, when asked how the agency increased its environmental effectiveness. “New sources will include wind, solar and other nonpolluting sources.”
The Environmental Protection Agency ranked MEA No. 12 on its Top 20 Local Government list of the largest green power purchasers in the United States.
MEA also qualified for the EPA Green Power Leadership Club, a distinction given to organizations that have significantly exceeded EPA’s minimum purchase requirements. Green Power Leadership Club members must purchase 10 times the partnership’s minimum requirement.
“This is a tremendous honor and we are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Dawn Weisz, MEA executive officer. “Providing green power helps our organization and Marin County become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing climate risk.”
MCE customers can choose to power their homes with one of MCE’s energy products — Light Green 50 percent renewable power or Deep Green 100 percent renewable power — as an alternative to PG&E’s 17 percent renewable power product.
As a nonprofit energy purchaser, MEA reinvests revenues to provide greater rate stability and greener energy to its ratepayers, rather than dividends for investors, and also reinvests in Marin County. MEA has already provided funding for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in Belvedere and San Rafael and offers MCE customers $500 solar and energy efficiency rebates.
The agency is also currently developing plans for its first local energy project to be located in Marin County — a 1-megawatt solar shade covered parking lot, which is targeted to cover about eight acres of parking lots.
Providing increasing amounts of renewable energy is also a legal requirement. On April 12, 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown signed California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard, requiring public and private utilities as well as community choice aggregations like MCE to obtain 33 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by Dec. 31, 2020.
MCE continues to engage the community in its efforts. The agency launched its Heart Deep Green campaign in partnership with nine local nonprofit organizations with the goal of promoting participation in MCE’s Deep Green 100 percent renewable energy program.
Customers will be invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit when they sign up for Deep Green. Once Marin Clean Energy enrolls its thousandth Deep Green customer, it will donate $1,000 to the organization with the most votes.
“Signing up for Deep Green is one of the most important things we can do to address climate change,” Weisz said. “This campaign gives people a way to do something really big about global warming right now and help their favorite nonprofit win $1,000.”
