Who Owns Solar Renewable Energy Credits?
Renewable energy credits (RECs) are earned as power is produced, and can be sold to companies who want to offset their carbon output. That's an incentive to companies installing solar, but when California said "mine," solar companies screamed.
November 24, 2006
Solar module companies use solar RECs as a way to offset the cost of their products. Solar power owners, the people who pay for the solar modules, can sell the resulting RECs to others who need to reduce their carbon footprint, or retire the RECs to reduce their own.
The California Public Utilities Commission has postponed a controversial decision about who owns solar RECs. Last week the CPUC proposed granting ownership of the RECs to utility companies, rather than to the individuals who install and operate solar energy systems.
Geoff Hand's Renewable Energy Law Blog offers the best round-up of information about this developing story.
For more background on RECs in general, read Green Tags in a Nutshell. Companies like Starbucks pay big bucks for RECs to offset carbon produced to generate a part of the electricity needed to run their stores.
Comments
Can anyone provide me with a list of Solar Power producers in the PJM area?
Any info would be great, thanks and hope the sun is shining.
Posted by: Matt | January 10, 2007 07:51 AM