By: Zachary Shahan

A new initiative by New York City, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACENY) is making it possible for residents of New York to buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) through three easy steps on a simple, new website. The website is called Green Power NYC.

The program is starting off fairly limited, but is clearly helpful to consumers and the environment and is looking to grow.

Currently, people can purchase wind energy or a mix of wind and hydroelectric through the website. Danny Bradbury reports that “Green-e, the non-profit organisation that the system uses as its authorised verifier of RECs, has certified more than 65 separate REC providers that can provide energy to New York state,” but there are currently only two electricity providers people can choose from on the website — Community Energy (Conedison Solutions) and Sterling Planet. Nonetheless, I think this is a good start.

This is a great method for increasing the use of renewable energy in the area and the country — it brings it directly to people in a convenient way, people who already know we need to switch to renewable resources and don’t want to wait any longer.

As the website says: “By purchasing renewable energy, you’re helping build the market for new renewables and sending a signal that the demand for new renewables is growing. It’s the fastest way you can help transform the electricity sector. ”

In addition to individuals, small businesses using less than 10,000 kWh per month or approximately 100,000 kWh per year can buy RECs though Green Power NYC.

The cost for consumers who decide to go green is 1 cent to 2.5 cents per kWh (automatically added to their electricity bill or billed to their credit card).

This looks like a good program and hopefully one that other localities or organizations will look to implement soon as well.

via Business Green

Related Stories:
1) 100% Wind-Powered Island off Maine Financed Using Electricity Co-op
2) Solar Power Costs 50% Lower than Last Year
3) South Carolina To Lead US With $98 Million World-Class Wind Center
4) California Gets Smart-Grid Funds to Bottle Wind

Image Credit 1: xtylerclub / www.blackheartking .com via flickr under a Creative Commons license
Image Credit 2: johnnyalive via flickr under a Creative Commons license

The two countries agreed on a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation on Energy Security, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, and Climate Change.

Through this Memorandum, both countries will work jointly to accelerate development and deployment of clean energy technologies and to strengthen cooperation on adaptation to climate change, climate science, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from forests and land use.

* Prime Minister Singh and President Obama agreed to encourage the mobilization of public and privatefunds that would invest in clean energy projects in India. This represents a major step forward in U.S. - India partnerships to strengthen their economic growth and energy security, while also addressing the threat of global climate change.

* Prime Minister Singh and President Obama affirmed that the Copenhagen outcome must be comprehensive and cover mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology. Moreover, it should reflect emission reduction targets for developed countries and nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries.

There should be scaled-up finance, technology, and capacity-building support. There should be full transparency as to the implementation of their mitigation commitments and appropriate processes for review. Both leaders resolved to take significant mitigation actions and to stand by these commitments.

* In addition, the two leaders launched an Indo-U.S. Clean Energy Research and Deployment Initiative, supported by U.S. and Indian government funding and private sector contributions. This new Initiative will include a Joint Research Center operating in both the United States and India to foster innovation and joint efforts to accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies.

The Initiative will allow the two governments to leverage expertise from both countries including government, private industry, and higher education to accelerate the development and deployment of new clean energy technologies. The Initiative will facilitate joint research, scientific exchanges, and sharing of proven innovation and deployment policies.

* The Initiative's work will be complemented by two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on Solar Energy and Wind Energy. Through the MOU on Solar Energy, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) will partner with India's Solar Energy Centre to develop a comprehensive nation-wide map of solar energy potential.

More than two dozen U.S. and Indian cities will partner to jointly advance solar energy deployment. The MOU on Wind Energy between NREL and India's Centre for Wind Energy Technology will focus in particular on supporting efforts to develop a low-wind speed turbine technology program.

* The U.S. and India will increase cooperation on unconventional natural gas including on coal bed methane, natural gas hydrates, and shale gas

The two countries will also work to reduce emissions from land use, including deforestation, forest degradation, enhanced sequestration, and sustainable management of forests.

* Working with India's Ministry of Environment and Forests, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide technical support for Indian efforts to establish an National Environmental Protection Authority focused on creating a more effective system of environmental governance, regulation and enforcement.

* In support of food security and climate change objectives, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will work with India's Ministry of Earth Sciences to more accurately forecast monsoons, and thereby reduce risks associated with climate change and to develop early warning systems to protect people and crops from the adverse effects of extreme weather.
Image: NASA
Source: Green Partnership Fact Sheet

What is CleanTechnica?
All CleanTechnica articles

Reprinted from Cleantechnica with permission from Green Options Media.

Comments