NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

Market Brief: Status of the 

Voluntary Renewable Energy 

Certificate Market (2011 Data) 

Jenny Heeter, Philip Armstrong, and Lori Bird

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Technical Report

NREL/TP-6A20-56128

September 2012
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

15013 Denver West Parkway

Golden, Colorado 80401

303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

Market Brief: Status of the 

Voluntary Renewable Energy 

Certificate Market (2011 Data) 

Jenny Heeter, Philip Armstrong, and Lori Bird

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Prepared under Task Nos. SAO9.3110 and SA12 0324 

Technical Report

NREL/TP-6A20-56128

September 2012

.
NOTICE

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iii

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy (EERE). The authors thank the technology program as well as Carla 

Frisch of EERE’s Corporate Analysis Office for support of this work. For their thoughtful review 

of the document, the authors thank Blaine Collison of the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, John Powers of Renewable Choice Energy, Rachael Terada of the Center for Resource 

Solutions; and Lynn Billman and Robin Newmark of NREL.

Additional information on green power market trends and activities can be found on the DOE’s 

Green Power Network website at http://greenpower.energy.gov.
iv

List of Acronyms

CEC Clean Energy Collective

CRS Center for Resource Solutions 

DOE U.S. Department of Energy

EERE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EIA Energy Information Administration

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ERCOT Electric Reliability Council of Texas

IOU investor-owned utility

ISO independent system operator

kW kilowatt

kWh kilowatt-hour

MI-RECS Michigan Renewable Energy Certification System

M-RETS Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System

MW megawatt

MWh megawatt-hour

NAR North American Renewables Registry

NC-RETS North Carolina Renewable Energy Tracking System

NEPOOL-GIS New England Power Pool-Generation Information 

System 

NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NVTREC Nevada Tracks Renewable Energy Credits

NYSERDA New York State Energy Research and Development 

Authority 

PJM-GATS PJM-Generation Attribute Tracking System

PUC public utility commission 

REC renewable energy certificate

RPS renewable portfolio standard

RTO regional transmission organization

SMUD Sacramento Municipal Utility District

WECC Western Electricity Coordinating Council

WREGIS Western Renewable Energy Generation Information 

System
v

Executive Summary

This report documents 2011 trends in the U.S. “voluntary” markets – those in which consumers 

and institutions purchase renewable energy to match their electricity needs on a voluntary basis.

Although a full estimate of the size of the voluntary market is not available for 2011, this review 

uses available data sources to capture 2011 voluntary market trends. Based on this review, the 

following key trends have been identified:

• In 2011, indicative data show that voluntary sales of renewable energy continued to 

increase (Figure ES-1). A comprehensive estimate for 2011 is not available, but 

several data sources provide indications of market trends. Regional or state renewable 

energy certificate (REC) tracking systems provide a partial estimate of the market 

because not all trasactions are captured in these systems. In 2011, voluntary market 

sales captured in REC tracking systems totaled approximately 40 million MWh, up 

from 20.8 million in 2010—a growth rate of 90%. However, a large portion of this 

growth likely represents an increase in the use of tracking systems for verifying 

voluntary market transactions, rather than an increase in purchases in the 

marketplace. For comparison, NREL estimated the voluntary market at 35.6 million 

MWh in 2010 based on data provided by market participants.

• Data from other available sources representing portions of the voluntary market show 

growth rates of approximately 20% for 2011. For example, the Environmental 

Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership grew to 21.7 million MWh in 

2011, representing growth of 22% from 2010. The EPA data capture only purchases 

of corporate and institutional purchases who are members of the EPA’s program; 

however, EPA data does capture nearly all of the largest corporate purchases. 

• The Center for Resource Solutions’ Green-e Energy program has a preliminary 

estimate for 2011 showing a total of 27.9 million MWh in 2011, representing growth 

of 21% from 2010. As not all market transactions are Green-e Energy certified, these

data represent a subset of the market. In 2010, NREL estimated that Green-e Energy 

retail transactions represented about 65% of the total market volume. 

Figure ES-1. Estimated annual voluntary sales by market sector, 2006–2011

Sources: EIA 2012, EPA 2012a, Heeter and Bird 2011, Terada 2012

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Millions of MWh Annually

NREL Estimated Total

Voluntary Market

Green-e Energy Retail

Sales

EPA-GPP Sales

Tracking System

Estimate
vi

• On a MWh basis, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Western 

Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS) saw the largest 

growth in 2011. Voluntary retirements in ERCOT increased by 29% between 2010 

and 2011, from 11.8 million MWh in 2010 to 15.3 million MWh in 2010.1 In 2011, 

an additional 4.9 million MWh generated in 2009 and 2010 were also retired, for a 

total of 20.2 million MWh of voluntary retirements in 2011. Voluntary retirements in 

WREGIS increased to 8.3 million MWh in 2011 from 1.1 million MWh in 2010. 

• Based on data now available from EIA, the largest 20 programs that report in the 

monthly EIA 826 form saw mixed sales results in 2011. A few programs saw sales 

growth greater than 35%, while others saw losses of similar proportion; the median 

growth for the sample of programs was 1%. 

• Community solar programs have been growing, with 10 programs added in 2011. As 

of August 2012, nearly 30 community solar programs were operating, totaling 10 

MW of combined capacity.

 1 A REC is issued to 1 MWh of renewable generation, but is retired when it has been used to meet RPS compliance 

or to make a voluntary claim.
vii

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................iii

List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... iv

Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ v

Table of Contents.......................................................................................................................... vii

List of Figures..............................................................................................................................viii

List of Tables................................................................................................................................viii

1 Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1

2 Voluntary Market Sales ............................................................................................................ 4

2.1 Voluntary Sales by Market Type.................................................................................. 7

2.2 Regional Focus............................................................................................................. 9

2.3 Residential and Nonresidential Customer Sales......................................................... 12

3 Customer Participation............................................................................................................ 14

4 Community Solar Programs.................................................................................................... 18

5 REC Pricing ............................................................................................................................ 20

6 Conclusions and Observations................................................................................................ 22

References..................................................................................................................................... 23

Appendix A. Leading Purchasers in the EPA Green Power Partnership...................................... 25

Appendix B. EIA Estimated U.S. Green Pricing Sales by State................................................... 26

Appendix C. Community Solar Offers ......................................................................................... 27
viii

List of Figures

Figure ES-1. Estimated annual voluntary sales by market sector, 2006–2011............................... v

Figure 1. Measurements of the voluntary market for renewable energy by recording entity, 2006-

2011..................................................................................................................................... 4

Figure 2. Voluntary REC market data from tracking systems, 2007-2011 .................................... 5

Figure 3. Renewable energy tracking systems in the United States............................................... 6

Figure 4. EPA Green Power Partnership annual voluntary sales by classification system, 2006-

2012..................................................................................................................................... 8

Figure 5. Green-e Energy certified retail sales by product type, 2003-2011.................................. 8

Figure 6. Sample of annual green power sales by utility, 2010-2011............................................. 9

Figure 7. Green power sales from EIA reporting entities, 2010................................................... 10

Figure 8. ERCOT voluntary and compliance retirements, 2007-2011 ......................................... 11

Figure 9. Residential and non-residential voluntary sales, 2006–2010 ........................................ 13

Figure 10. Electricity sales by state for green pricing programs, 2010 ........................................ 13

Figure 11. Sample of annual green power customers by utility, 2010-2011 ................................ 14

Figure 12. Sample of percent green power customer penetration by utility, 2010-2011.............. 15

Figure 13. Number of participants in EPA’s Green Power Partnership ....................................... 16

Figure 14. Number and cumulative capacity of community solar programs, January 2006–

August 2012...................................................................................................................... 19

Figure 15. Voluntary REC prices, January 2008–June 2012........................................................ 20

Figure 16. Compliance market (Tier 1) REC prices, January 2008–June 2012 ........................... 21

List of Tables

Table 1. Public Reporting by REC Tracking Systems.................................................................... 6

Table 2. 20 Largest ERCOT Accounts by Voluntary REC Retirements, 2010............................ 12

Table 3. Estimated Cumulative Green Power Customers by Market Segment, 2006–2010 ........ 17

Table A-1. Top 25 Purchasers in the EPA Green Power Partnership Program, as of 

July 5, 2012....................................................................................................................... 25

Table B-1. EIA Estimated U.S. Green Pricing Sales by State (MWh), 2010............................... 26

Table C-1. Historical Development of Community Solar Offers................................................. 27
1

1 Introduction

Voluntary markets for renewable energy, or “green power” markets, allow consumers 

and institutions to purchase renewable energy to match their electricity needs on a 

voluntary basis. Entities can make voluntary purchases of renewable energy through 

utility green power programs and green power marketing activities in competitive 

electricity markets, as well as in unbundled REC markets. This report covers all of these 

approaches:

• Utility Green Pricing (regulated utility markets). Utility green pricing 

programs began in the early 1990s when a small number of utilities offered 

their customers the option to purchase green power. These programs are 

offered by utilities in traditionally regulated electricity markets. More than 

850 utilities offer green pricing programs.

• Competitive Green Power (competitive utility markets). In states with 

competitive (or restructured) retail electricity markets, electricity customers 

may have the option of switching to an alternative electricity supplier that 

offers green power. In some of these states, default utility electricity suppliers 

offer green power options to their customers in conjunction with competitive 

green power marketers so that switching is not required. More than a dozen 

states that have opened their markets to retail competition have experienced 

some green power marketing activity.2

• Voluntary Unbundled REC Market. Regardless of whether customers have 

access to a green power product from their retail power provider, they can 

purchase green power through unbundled RECs. More than 25 companies 

offer unbundled RECs to retail customers via the Internet, and a number of 

other companies market RECs solely to commercial and wholesale

customers.3

This analysis reviews 2011 trends in the voluntary renewable energy market based on 

available data. For more detailed background information, 2010 market data, and 

historical analysis, see Heeter and Bird 2011. Unlike in previous NREL reports,4 we are 

not able to provide a comprehensive estimate of the market size because we did not 

collect data from market participants. Instead, we rely on publicly available data sources, 

which provide an indication of market performance for various portions of the market. 

However, these estimates cannot be compared to earlier NREL estimates of the size of 

the voluntary market, because of the differences in methodology and data sources. 

 2 States with competitive offerings include Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and 

Washington, D.C. 

3 For a list of companies offering voluntary REC products, see the DOE’s Green Power Network website: 

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/markets/certificates.shtml?page=2. 4 Voluntary market data from previous years is captured in earlier versions of the report including: Heeter 

and Bird 2011; Bird and Sumner 2010; and Bird et al. 2009.
2

This analysis draws on data from four sources that capture portions of the voluntary 

market. These data overlap, and are presented separately in order to examine growth 

trends, but cannot be summed to create a complete picture of the voluntary market in 

2011. Each data source covers only a subsection of the voluntary market. 

Data sources used in this report are as follows: 

1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power 

Partnership provides data on the magnitude of purchases by its corporate, 

institutional, and government partners on an annual basis, which sheds light on 

non-residential purchaser trends. EPA works with more than 1,300 U.S. 

organizations to facilitate the purchase of green power. To be considered a 

“partner,” the entity must buy green power in the voluntary market, meet certain 

thresholds for “new” renewables as a percent of the organization’s annual 

electricity usage (3%-20%, depending on size), and execute a partnership 

agreement with EPA. 

2. The Center for Resource Solutions’ (CRS) Green-e Energy certification 

program provides data on the volume of renewable energy generation sold into 

voluntary markets and certified by the Green-e Energy program annually. All 

2011 figures in this report are preliminary estimates. CRS maintains data on 

annual sales, by product (e.g. green pricing) and customer type, number of 

customers, and location of supply and sales by state. The certification ensures that 

the renewable energy sold is from “new” resources, that sellers undergo 

marketing compliance review twice per year, that sales are verified annually, and 

that RECs are not double counted.5 Not all voluntary RECs are Green-e Energy 

certified; though it was the largest certifier in the voluntary market at 23 million 

MWh of retail sales in 2010, or an estimated 65% of total voluntary market sales, 

and an estimated 99% of voluntary retail REC transactions.

3. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects data on green 

power sales and customers from utilities and marketers as part of its Form 861 

(annual data) and Form 826 (monthly data). Not all competitive retailers report to 

EIA; therefore, these data underestimate sales, particularly in states with 

competitive retail markets. The monthly Form 826 collects from a sample of 

respondents compared to the annual Form 861 and data are released faster. EIA 

has published monthly Form 826 data beginning in January 2011 through 

December 2011. EIA’s annual data for 2011 is expected to be released in midNovember 2012. 

4. Regional REC tracking systems, initially created to ensure compliance with 

renewable portfolio standards (RPSs), are increasingly being used to verify 

voluntary REC market transactions. Public reports available from regional 

tracking systems provide the quantity of voluntary RECs issued to generators 

registered in their system, and in some cases provide the quantity of voluntary 

 5 The Green-e Energy National Standard and EPA’s Green Power Partnership both consider “new” projects 

to be those that have online within 15 years prior to the sale of the green power.
3

RECs retired.6 Not all voluntary RECs transactions are verified in a tracking 

system and Green-e Energy’s rules allow for a 21 month window to retire RECs 

for a calendar year.

7 Therefore, this data source presents an incomplete picture of 

total voluntary sales. Tracking systems operate primarily on a state or regional 

basis, often following the same boundaries as local regional transmission 

organizations (RTOs) or ISOs.

 6 A REC is issued to 1 MWh of renewable generation, but is retired when it has been used to meet RPS 

compliance or to make a voluntary claim.

7 For example, for certified sales made in calendar year 2011, generation could have come from July 2010 

through March 2012. 
4

2 Voluntary Market Sales

In 2011, growth in voluntary market sales can be seen by examining the various available 

data sources, although none represent a comprehensive picture of the market. Both EPA 

and Green-e reported growth rates in renewable energy purchased or certified of about 

20% in 2011. Data from REC tracking systems, which is the most comprehensive data 

source, but excludes transactions that occur outside of these systems, show about 40 

million MWh of renewable energy in voluntary markets in 2011 (see Figure 1). While 

this figure is up 90% from 2010, much of the growth may be attributed to the increased 

use of REC tracking systems to verify voluntary market transactions, rather than an 

increase in the total market volume.

Data from tracking systems and other sources cannot be directly compared to market 

estimates prepared by NREL in the past. Historically, NREL has produced a 

comprehensive annual sales estimate, which has exceeded sales documented in tracking 

systems, EPA’s Green Power Partnership, and CRS’ Green-e Energy program. NREL’s 

comprehensive estimate was drawn from gathering data directly from utility green 

pricing programs, competitive marketers, and REC brokers, supplemented with data from 

REC certifiers, ERCOT, and press releases describing large voluntary green power 

purchases. In 2010, tracking systems represented about 60% of the NREL estimated total 

market volume of about 35 million MWh. 

Figure 1. Measurements of the voluntary market for renewable energy by recording entity, 

2006-2011

Sources: EIA 2012, EPA 2012a, Heeter and Bird 2011, Terada 2012

EPA’s Green Power Partnership saw continued growth in 2011, with sales increasing by 

22% over 2010. Between 2006 and 2011, sales increased at a compound annual growth 

rate of 26%. Data through June 31, 2012 show that 2012 sales are up 10% relative to 

year-end 2011, indicating that if the second half of 2012 performs similarly, 2011-2012 

growth should be similar to the year-to-year pattern in 2010-2011. In 2011, sales growth 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Millions of MWh Annually

NREL Estimated Total

Voluntary Market

Green-e Energy Retail

Sales

EPA-GPP Sales

Tracking System

Estimate
5

was driven by an increase in the average and median purchase size of partners with large 

load, which increased by 17% and 37%, respectively.8

In 2011, Green-e Energy retail sales increased to an estimated 27.9 million MWh, or 

21%, similar to growth from 2009 to 2010. Green-e Energy retail sales increased to 23.1 

million MWh in 2010, up from 18.7 million MWh in 2009, representing a 24% increase.

From 2006 to 2011 Green-e Energy retail sales have seen a compound annual growth rate 

of 44%.

In 2011, estimated voluntary sales in tracking systems increased to 39.5 million MWh 

from 20.8 million MWh in 2010 (see Figure 2). From 2007 to 2011, estimated voluntary 

sales in tracking systems increased at a compound annual growth rate of 114%. However, 

this growth likely reflects the increased use of tracking systems as a verification tool for 

voluntary market RECs, not just market growth. Tracking system use is becoming more 

common because generators want to participate in the RPS compliance markets, which 

often require generators to use a tracking system, and generators and others are seeking to 

simplify the Green-e Energy verification and audit process. 

Figure 2. Voluntary REC market data from tracking systems, 2007-2011

Note: The ERCOT, M-RETS, and WREGIS tracking systems report data for retired RECs; NC-RETS, 

NEPOOL, and PJM-GATS do not report retired REC data and are thus represented with issued REC data.

Estimates of market volume from tracking systems is based on data from the eight state 

or regional tracking systems in Table 1 (see also Figure 3). Data on retired certificates

are used when available, but issued certificates are used as a proxy for systems that do 

not publicly report retirements. While all tracking systems provide the number of issued 

certificates publically, not all publically report the number of retired certificates (Table 

1). Because voluntary certificates may be issued in one year but retired in a future year, 

 8 Large partners are defined as partners with more than 100,000 MWh of load annually.

 -

 5

 10

 15

 20

 25

 30

 35

 40

 45

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Millions of MWh annually

NC-RETS

NEPOOL

PJM-GATS

M-RETS

WREGIS

ERCOT

issued

retired
6

the issued data from NC-RETS, NEPOOL, and PJM-GATS may overestimate retired 

voluntary certificates. 

Table 1. Public Reporting by REC Tracking Systems

Tracking System Number of Issued 

Certificates

Number of Retired 

Certificates

ERCOT Yes Yes

NEPOOL-GIS Yes No

PJM-GATS Yes No

WREGIS Yes Yes

M-RETS Yes Yes

NAR Yes No

MI-RECS Yes No

NC-RETS Yes No

Figure 3. Renewable energy tracking systems in the United States

Source: Updated from ETNNA 2011

Note: NAR covers states and provinces not covered by a NYSE Blue tracking system.

WREGIS saw the largest increase in voluntary REC retirements, increasing from 1.1 

million MWh in 2010 to 8.3 million MWh in 2011. An increasing number of utilities are 

using WREGIS to track their voluntary green pricing programs, and these programs are 

also growing on a MWh basis (Coon 2012). ERCOT saw about a 50% increase from 13.4 
7

million MWh in 2010 to 20.2 million in 2011. ERCOT represented nearly half of the 

entire volume of transactions verified in REC tracking systems in 2011. The Texas 

market is further discussed in Section 2.2.

2.1 Voluntary Sales by Market Type

Historically, REC markets have represented the largest share of the voluntary market—

larger than the volumes of green power sold through utility programs or competitive 

retail suppliers.

9 In 2010, 56% of all green power sales occurred as REC only 

transactions that are separate from electricity sales.

REC-only products appeal to nonresidential customers because of their flexibility and the 

potential cost savings created by sourcing from renewable energy projects in more 

favorable resource locations. Also, the electricity does not have to be delivered directly to 

the customer, which lowers transaction costs. For commercial and institutional customers 

that operate facilities in multiple locations across the country, RECs may also provide a 

more efficient green power sourcing solution than working with utilities in each 

individual utility territory. RECs may have a smaller appeal to residential customers 

because they may not be aware that RECs are available or may not understand what they 

convey. 

EPA’s Green Power Partnership tracks which sources partners are using to meet their 

voluntary commitments. In 2011, REC purchases represented 74% of total green power 

purchases under the Partnership, a level that has remained fairly steady since 2007. Sales 

through June 30, 2012 show that RECs represent 75% of total purchases in the 

Partnership (Figure 4).

 9 The REC market sales figures reflect sales to end-use customers separate from electricity. RECs bundled 

with electricity and sold to end-use customers through utility green pricing programs or in competitive 

electricity markets are counted in other categories.
8

Figure 4. EPA Green Power Partnership annual voluntary sales by classification system, 

2006-2012

Source: EPA 2012a

Note: 2012 data are through June 30, 2012.

The Green-e Energy certification program began with a focus on competitive electricity 

products, but has increasingly certified REC sales (Figure 5). In 2004, REC sales 

represented 4% of total Green-e Energy sales, while in 2011, REC sales represented 

approximately 84% of total Green-e Energy sales. 

Figure 5. Green-e Energy certified retail sales by product type, 2003-2011

Source: Terada 2012

 -

 5

 10

 15

 20

 25

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Millions of MWh Annually

Onsite

Unknown

Green Pricing

Competitive Electricity

RECs

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Millions of MWh Annually

Green Pricing

Competitive Electricity

RECs
9 

Utility green pricing sales for 2011 are available for those utilities that report to EIA 

under Form 826.10 Figure 6 presents 2011 sales growth for a sample of green pricing 

programs based on EIA data. Note that while NREL has included “Top 10” rankings of 

programs in past reports, Figure 6 does not represent a similar ranking of top programs

because data are incomplete.

11 Some green pricing programs, including Austin Energy, 

do not report to EIA under the 826. In the sample of programs examined from EIA 826 

data, some programs increased sales while others saw sales decline, with the median sales 

growth at 1% from 2010 to 2011. The largest programs for which 2011 data is available 

saw increases in annual sales ranging from 2% to 9%: Portland General Electric 

increased by 740,000 MWh, PacifiCorp by 606,000 MWh, SMUD by 409,000 MWh, and 

Puget Sound Energy by 342,000 MWh. 

Figure 6. Sample of annual green power sales by utility, 2010-2011

Sources: EIA 2012, EIA 2011

2.2 Regional Focus 

Utility green power and competitive market sales are predominant in certain states.12 The 

top states in terms of total green power sales include California, Illinois, Maryland,

Oregon, Texas, and Washington (Figure 7). State data on utility and competitive market 

sales for 2010 are publically available from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) 

 

10 EIA data were spot-checked for reporting errors but otherwise not validated by NREL. Madison Gas & 

Electric Company provided a revised 2011 green power sales figure to NREL.

11 Previous NREL lists have also presented data on a program basis rather than a utility basis (e.g. sales for 

a utility program that operates in multiple states have been aggregated). 12 Data on the geographic source of unbundled RECs is not available from EIA.

Portland General Electric Co

PacifiCorp

Sacramento Municipal Util Dist

Puget Sound Energy Inc

Public Service Co of Colorado

Connecticut Light & Power Co

Northern States Power Co - Minnesota

Wisconsin Electric Power Co

Indianapolis Power & Light Co

Madison Gas & Electric Co

Virginia Electric & Power Co

Interstate Power and Light Co

PECO Energy Co

Public Service Co of NM

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.

Avista Corp

Union Electric Co - (MO)

Consumers Energy Co

Wisconsin Power & Light Co

Annual Green Power Sales (MWh)

2011 2010
10

(Figure 13 and Appendix B), which collects the data directly as part of its Form 861. 

However, because not all competitive retailers report to EIA, these data underestimate 

sales, particularly in states with competitive retail markets, such as Texas.

13

Figure 7. Green power sales from EIA reporting entities, 2010

Source: EIA 2011

Spotlight: Texas

In Texas, an increasing number of green power retail suppliers has in part driven growth 

in voluntary retirements of RECs. According to data reported by competitive marketers 

and utility green power programs to ERCOT, voluntary REC retirements in Texas

increased by 29% between 2010 and 2011, from 11.8 million MWh in 2010 to 15.3 

million MWh in 2010 (ERCOT 2012). In addition, some RECs issued in previous years 

were retired in 2011, raising the overall market total. In 2011, an additional 4.9 million 

MWh generated in 2009 and 2010 were also retired (Figure 8), for a total of 20.2 million 

MWh of voluntary retirements in 2011. In 2011, voluntary retirements in Texas surpassed 

compliance retirements for the fourth year in a row (ERCOT 2012).

 13 According to EIA, Form 861 is completed by “electric utilities, wholesale power marketers (registered 

with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), energy service providers (registered with the States), 

and electric power producers. Responses are collected at the business level (not at the holding company 

level) (EIA 2011).”

> 500,000

200,000 - 500,000

100,000 - 200,000

10,000 - 100,000

1,000 - 10,000

100 - 1,000

< 100

2010 Green Power 

Sales by State 

(MWh)
11

Figure 8. ERCOT voluntary and compliance retirements, 2007-2011

Sources: ERCOT 2012, ERCOT 2011, ERCOT 2010, ERCOT 2009, ERCOT 2008

The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) has encouraged public access to REC 

market data by requiring ERCOT to report annually the aggregate quantity of RECs 

retired for voluntary and compliance purposes. In the current reporting year, 

confidentiality is ensured to account holders, which may be retiring compliance or 

voluntary RECs, but after one year, ERCOT documents how many RECs were retired by 

each account holder.14 ERCOT data on the voluntary retirements by account holder for 

2010 show that the top 5 largest voluntary retirements were completed by Reliant Energy, 

Green Mountain Energy, CPS Energy (San Antonio), NextEra, and Austin Energy. Table 

2 shows that ERCOT account holders may be entities that operate and are selling RECs 

generated in Texas to end-consumers outside of Texas. From 2009 to 2010, the largest 

increases in retired voluntary RECs came from Reliant Energy, Green Mountain Energy, 

NextEra, Renewable Choice, and First Choice Power.

 14 ERCOT’s Annual Report on the Texas Renewable Energy Credit Trading Program can be found at 

https://www.texasrenewables.com/reports.asp.

 -

 5,000,000

 10,000,000

 15,000,000

 20,000,000

 25,000,000

0

5

10

15

20

25

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Millions of MWh Annually

ERCOT Voluntary

Retirements from

Previous Years

ERCOT Voluntary

Retirements from

Current Year

ERCOT RPS

Retirements
12

Table 2. 20 Largest ERCOT Accounts by Voluntary REC Retirements, 2010

Source: ERCOT 2012

2.3 Residential and Nonresidential Customer Sales

No data are available for 2011 on sales by customer class, but some earlier data are 

available. Sales to nonresidential customers have represented between 73% and 76% of 

total sales from 2006 to 2010 (Figure 9). Figure 15 delineates green power sales by 

customer segment over time. 

Account Holder

Number of RECs 

Voluntary 

Retired in 2010

Reliant Energy Retail ,LLC 2,581,954

Green Mountain Energy Company 1,714,209

CPS Energy 1,605,437

NextEra Energy Power Marketing, LLC 978,693

Austin Energy 855,020

Renewable Choice Energy 741,968

First Choice Power Special Purpose, LP 395,529

SUEZ Energy Resources NA, Inc. - Super Green 329,037

SUEZ Energy Resources NA, Inc. 323,095

Washington Gas Energy Services 276,931

Nexant Clean Energy Solutions 268,528

Capricorn Ridge Wind II, LLC 231,726

Direct Energy LP - Green-e Retirements 224,694

Denton Municipal Electric 141,732

Gexa Corp. 139,389

Community Energy, Inc. 133,611

Clean Currents 122,327

3Degrees Group, Inc. (Green-e) 80,000

Green Mountain Energy Commercial Service 78,880

Dell USA, LP 64,095
13

Figure 9. Residential and non-residential voluntary sales, 2006–2010

Source: Heeter and Bird 2011

EIA’s 2010 data show that while non-residential sales dominate in some states, 

residential sales contribute more than 50% of green power sales reported to EIA in Texas, 

Oregon, New York, California, Washington, and Wisconsin (Figure 10). Texas in 

particular has seen a rapid increase and uptake in the number of customers by wind 

energy from retail electricity suppliers. 

Figure 10. Electricity sales by state for green pricing programs, 2010

Source: EIA 2011

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Annual Green Power Sales 

(millions of MWh)

Nonresidential

Residential

73%

75%

75%

76%

73%

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

TX OR IL NY CA WA DC MD WI CO

Millions of MWh Annually

Non-Residential Sales

Residential Sales
14

3 Customer Participation 

Comprehensive data on customer participation in 2011 are unavailable, but data are 

available for some utilities, as well as from EPA’s Green Power Partnership. For the 

largest 20 programs (in terms of customers) that report in the EIA 826 Form, customer 

participation totaled roughly 488,000 in 2011, up 6.5% from 458,000 in 2010 (EIA 861 

data) (Figure 11). The largest four programs (in terms of green power customers) that 

reported data in the EIA 826, Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp, SMUD, and Puget 

Sound Energy, saw customer gains in 2011 ranging from 5% to 10%.

Figure 11. Sample of annual green power customers by utility, 2010-2011

Sources: EIA 2012, EIA 2011

The average participation rate for the largest 20 programs in terms of green power 

customers in 2011 was 2.9%, ranging from 1.9% to 9.8% (Figure 12) while the average 

participation rate for all programs reported in the EIA 826 Form in 2011 was 0.9%. 

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000

Portland General Electric Co

PacifiCorp

Sacramento Municipal Util Dist

Puget Sound Energy Inc

Public Service Co of Colorado

Wisconsin Electric Power Co

Connecticut Light & Power Co

PECO Energy Co

Northern States Power Co - Minnesota

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

New York State Elec & Gas Corp

Virginia Electric & Power Co

Consumers Energy Co

Public Service Co of NM

Madison Gas & Electric Co

Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.

Wisconsin Power & Light Co

Interstate Power and Light Co

Union Electric Co - (MO)

Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC

Number of Green Power Customers

2011

2010
15

Figure 12. Sample of percent green power customer penetration by utility, 2010-2011

Sources: EIA 2012, EIA 2011

The number of participants in EPA’s Green Power Partnership began to rise in the first 

half of 2012, after seeing nearly flat net participation from 2010 to 2011 (Figure 13). 

Notably, in 2011, a larger number (142) of small partners left the program than in 

previous years; although net participation was nearly flat, new organizations did join the 

program (EPA 2012a). From 2011 through June 2012, net participation grew by 8% to 

1,407 partners. 

Two new large purchasers joined the EPA Green Power Partnership in 2012: Microsoft 

and McDonald’s USA. Microsoft is purchasing 1,120 thousand MWh of green power 

annually (ranked third) and McDonalds is purchasing 306 thousand MWh of green power 

annually (ranked thirteenth), as of July 2012. 

The top purchasers in EPA’s Green Power Partnership are listed in Appendix A.

0% 5% 10%

Portland General Electric Co

Sacramento Municipal Util Dist

Madison Gas & Electric Co

Lower Valley Energy Inc

PacifiCorp

Los Alamos County

Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc

City of Eugene - (OR)

Emerald People's Utility Dist

Puget Sound Energy Inc

Connecticut Light & Power Co

Public Service Co of NM

New York State Elec & Gas Corp

City of Newark - (DE)

Public Service Co of Colorado

City of Fort Collins - (CO)

Central Vermont Pub Serv Corp

Poudre Valley R E A, Inc

Wisconsin Electric Power Co

East Central Energy

Percent Green Power Customer Penetration

2011

2010
16

Figure 13. Number of participants in EPA’s Green Power Partnership

Source: EPA 2012a

NREL has estimated that 1.8 million electricity customers nationwide purchased green 

power products in 2010 through regulated utility companies, from green power marketers 

in a competitive-market setting, or in the form of RECs (Table 3).15 This represented a 

25% increase in participation from 2009. While not as strong as 2009 growth of 44%, the 

2010 growth was stronger than previous years (2006-2008). Participation in competitive 

markets increased about 45% primarily due to substantial customer increases of one 

marketer operating in states with retail competition. REC market participation also 

increased considerably, due to an increase in residential customer participation. 

Participation in utility green pricing programs was up slightly in 2010, due to increases in 

residential customer participation. However, no new figures are available for 2011. 

 15 There is greater uncertainty in NREL customer estimates for competitive and REC markets because of 

data limitations. Generally, NREL estimates are consistent with the EIA estimates when adjusted for 

customers in Ohio who participated in community aggregations in 2005 and earlier. NREL excluded these 

customers from our estimates because they purchase products with very low renewable energy content 

(1%–2%).

656 

829 

1,050 

1,217 

1,297 1,304 1,407 

 -

 200

 400

 600

 800

 1,000

 1,200

 1,400

 1,600

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

(Through

June 30)

Number of EPA Green Power Partners
17

Table 3. Estimated Cumulative Green Power Customers by Market Segment, 2006–2010

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Utility Green Pricing 490,000 550,000 550,000 550,000 570,000

Residential 470,800 526,700 519,700 526,300 544,700

Nonresidential 15,500 20,200 26,100 26,000 22,900

% Residential Growth 23% 12% -1% 1% 4%

% Nonresidential 

Growth 37% 30% 29% (1%) (12%)

Competitive Market ~ 210,000 300,000 390,000 830,000 ~ 1,200,000

Voluntary REC 

Market ~ 10,000 > 10,000 30,000 < 20,000 > 60,000

Retail Total ~ 710,000 ~ 860,000 ~ 970,000 ~ 1,400,000 ~ 1,830,000

% Change ~ 22% ~ 21% ~ 13% ~ 44% ~ 25%

Note: In some cases, estimates have been revised from those reported in previous NREL reports as updated 

data have become available. Totals may not add due to rounding.
18

4 Community Solar Programs 

Increasingly, utilities and third parties are developing community solar programs16 that 

allow customers to purchase a share of a renewable system developed in the local 

community. These types of programs represent the vast majority of new green pricing 

programs. 

Under community solar programs,

17 customers receive the benefits of the energy that is 

produced by their share. For example, the Holy Cross Energy solar project in El Jebel, 

Colorado, is an 80 kW photovoltaic system supported by 18 community participants who 

purchase shares at an upfront cost of $3.15/W ($3,150/kW) and then receive a credit on 

their bill each month at a rate of $0.11/kWh (Green Power Network 2010). Typically, 

community solar programs require an upfront investment in a “share” or “panel” of the 

project, which can cost hundreds of dollars. However, that is not always the case. DeltaMontrose Electric Association’s Community Solar Array program sells shares in $10 

increments (Green Power Network 2011).

Advantages of community solar programs include potential cost savings due to 

economies of scale, as community solar programs may be able to offer a lower price per 

watt. Community solar programs typically also allow consumers to keep their shares if 

they move within the utility’s service territory. Also, community solar may be an option 

for consumers who lack sufficient roof space or exposure to warrant installation of a 

system on their homes. For more on these issues, see Heeter and McLaren (forthcoming).

The majority of new utility programs introduced in recent years have been community 

solar programs. In 2011, 10 programs were introduced, and as of August 2012, an 

additional 8 programs had begun in 2012 (see Appendix C). U.S. community solar 

programs have a combined capacity of nearly 10,400 kW as of August 2012, and that 

capacity has been growing (Figure 14). In 2011, the Salt River Project (Arizona) began a 

2,000 kW program for residential participants.18 Two additional large (>1,000 kW) 

programs were developed in Arizona: Tuscon Electric Power’s 1,600 kW program in 

2011 and UniSource Energy Service’s 1,720 kW program in 2012. San Miguel Power 

Association, working with the Clean Energy Collective (Colorado) also developed a large 

system (1,000 kW) in 2012.

 16 For an examination of how to develop a community solar project, see DOE 2012. 17 While the term “community solar program” encompasses other business models (such as bulk purchasing 

of photovoltaic equipment), this report addresses only programs where participants purchase a share of the 

solar project and receive credit for their solar production.

18 Salt River Projects solar array includes an additional 7,840 kW reserved for local schools.
19

Figure 14. Number and cumulative capacity of community solar programs, 

January 2006–August 2012

In some cases, community solar programs have been enabled by state legislation. In May 

2009, Washington passed SB 6170, which enables community solar participants to 

qualify for the state’s production incentive program (DSIRE 2012). Projects up to 75 kW 

are eligible. The production incentive can range between $0.12/kWh and $0.54/kWh, 

depending on whether the project qualifies for certain local content multipliers, and each 

participant in a community solar project is eligible to receive the incentive, which is 

capped at $5,000 per year per participant (DSIRE 2012). 

In Colorado, legislation was passed in June 2010 requiring that IOUs develop plans to 

acquire RECs from community solar gardens. The bill required the PUC to set a 

minimum and maximum purchase of electrical output for each utility. In order to comply, 

the state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, will offer a new Solar*Rewards Community 

incentive program. In June 2012, the Colorado PUC finalized rules pertaining to the 

incentive program. Under this new program Xcel will accept 4.5 MW of community solar 

electricity in 2012; it will pay $0.14 per kWh for small programs (10-50 kW), and $0.11 

per kWh for medium programs (50-500 kW), then scaling down the payments over time 

after 3 MW of capacity has been installed. Community solar developers were invited to 

submit applications on August 15, 2012, and Xcel closed the application process after 30 

minutes, as three times the 2012 capacity allotment had been submitted.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

(as of

8/15)

Cumulative Capacity (kW)

Number of Programs Added Annually

Number of new

programs

Cumulative capacity

(kW)
20

5 REC Pricing 

In 2011, prices for voluntary RECs (both national any technology, national wind, and 

western wind) declined. Compliance REC pricing increased in a few states (primarily in 

the Northeast).

As shown in Figure 15, wholesale RECs used in voluntary markets have generally traded 

in the range of $1/MWh to $10/MWh (0.1¢/kWh to 1.0¢/kWh), based on available 

indicative broker data. In 2011 and early 2012, prices paid for nationally sourced 

voluntary RECs from any technology dropped to less than $1/MWh. Nationally sourced 

voluntary wind REC prices were comparable to nationally sourced voluntary RECs for 

any technology. Wind from the western United States earned higher prices, though West 

Wind fell to less than $2/MWh in 2012. The drop in West Wind pricing may be a result 

of utilities in California being on track to meet the state’s RPS. Bloomberg New Energy 

Finance has noted that California’s IOUs do not have a need for additional renewable 

procurement through the first compliance period (2011-2013) (BNEF 2012). 

Figure 15. Voluntary REC prices, January 2008–June 2012

Sources: Spectron Group 2012

Note: Plotted values are the last trade (if available) or the mid-point of bid and offer prices for the current 

or nearest compliance year for various state compliance RECs.

Compliance REC prices differ because of regional differences in renewable energy 

resource quality (e.g., wind speed) and the supply and demand of RECs. In 2011, 

compliance REC prices began to increase in some markets, particularly in the Northeast 

(Figure 5). Prices for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut 

RECs increased in 2011 and the beginning of 2012 to between $50/MWh and $60/MWh. 

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

$9

$10

Voluntary REC price ($/MWh)

West Wind

National Wind

National Any

Technology
21

Other state markets have seen little to no change in REC pricing in recent years. REC 

prices remain under $5/MWh in Washington, D.C., Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New 

Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Figure 16 shows the wide variation in compliance 

REC prices among states for which data are available.

Figure 16. Compliance market (Tier 1) REC prices, January 2008–June 2012

Sources: Spectron Group 2012

Note: Plotted values are the last trade (if available) or the mid-point of bid and offer prices for the current

or nearest compliance year for various state compliance RECs.

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

$60

$70

Compliance REC Price ($/MWh)

CT

DC

DE

IL Wind

MA

MD

ME

NH

NJ

PA

RI

TX
22

6 Conclusions and Observations

Voluntary REC markets continue to exhibit growth and provide a stimulus for renewable 

energy development. Green power markets provide an additional revenue stream for 

renewable energy projects and raise consumer awareness of the benefits of renewable 

energy. Based on this review, NREL has identified the following market trends:

• In 2011, several available data sources show that voluntary sales of renewable 

energy continued to increase. Both EPA’s Green Power Partnership and CRS’ 

Green-e Energy program experienced growth rates of around 20% The EPA’s 

Green Power Partnership grew to 21.7 million MWh in 2011, a 22% increase 

over 2010. The CRS’ Green-e Energy program grew to an estimated 27.9

million MWh in 2011 for retail sales, an increase of 21% over 2010. 

• Data from REC tracking systems, which is the most comprehensive data 

source, but excludes transactions that occur outside of these systems, show 

about 40 million MWh of renewable energy in voluntary markets in 2011, up 

from 20.8 million MWh in 2010, a growth rate of 90%. In 2010, tracking 

systems represented about 60% of the NREL estimated total market volume of 

about 35 million MWh. Growth in this sector is likely partially a result of 

increased use of tracking systems for voluntary market transactions. ERCOT 

and WREGIS saw the largest growth on a MWh basis in 2011; and ERCOT 

represents roughly half of all reported volumes. 

• Based on data from EIA on a sample of utility programs, the largest 20 

programs that report in the EIA 826 recorded a mix of green power sales 

increases and declines from 2010 to 2011. A few programs saw sales growth 

greater than 35%, while others saw losses of similar proportion; the median 

growth for the sample of programs was 1%. 

• The majority of new utility programs introduced in recent years have been 

community solar programs that enable utility customers to purchase a share of 

a solar system and receive the benefits of the energy produced by their share. 

Since 2011, 18 new programs were introduced. Today, nearly 30 community 

solar programs have a combined capacity of more than 10 MW.

• Voluntary REC pricing fell to less than $1/MWh in 2011. Pricing has 

remained under $1/MWh through August 2012.
23

References

Bird, L., C. Kreycik, and B. Friedman. (September 2009). Green Power Marketing in the 

United States: A Status Report (2008 Data). NREL/TP-6A2-46581. Golden, CO: 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, September. 

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/46581.pdf. Accessed October 4, 2011.

Bird, L.; Sumner, J. (September 2010). Green Power Marketing in the United States: A 

Status Report (2009 Data). NREL/TP-6A20-4940. Golden, CO: National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy11osti/49403.pdf. Accessed September 

2011.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). (2012). U.S. Renewable Energy – Research 

Note: California renewable compliance: up to the brim. 22 June.

Clean Energy Collective (CEC). (2012). “Bringing down the cost of solar through 

community shared solar.” Webinar presentation. http://www.icleiusa.org/actioncenter/learn-from-others/bringing-down-the-cost-of-solar-through-community-sharedsolar-programs. Accessed August 14, 2012.

Coon, A. (17 August 2012). E-mail. Western Electricity Coordinating Council. Salt Lake 

City, Utah.

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). (2012). 

www.dsireusa.org. Accessed August 17, 2012.

Department of Energy (DOE). (2012). “Guide to Community Shared Solar: Utility, 

Private, and Non-profit Project Development. 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/54570.pdf. Accessed August 14, 2012.

Electricity Information Agency (EIA). (2012). “Monthly Electric Utility Sales and 

Revenue Data.” http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/eia826.html. Accessed 

September 4, 2012.

EIA. (2011). “Annual Electric Utility Data File – EIA-861.” 

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/index.html. Accessed September 4, 2012. 

Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT). (2012). ERCOT’s 2011 Annual 

Report on the Texas Renewable Energy Credit Trading Program. Project No. 27706. 

Texas Public Utilities Commission. https://www.texasrenewables.com/reports.asp

Accessed September 4, 2012.

ERCOT. (2011). ERCOT’s 2010 Annual Report on the Texas Renewable Energy Credit 

Trading Program. Project No. 27706. Texas Public Utilities Commission.

https://www.texasrenewables.com/reports.asp. Accessed September 4, 2012.
24

ERCOT. (2010). ERCOT’s 2009 Annual Report on the Texas Renewable Energy Credit 

Trading Program. Project No. 27706. Texas Public Utilities Commission. 

https://www.texasrenewables.com/reports.asp. Accessed September 4, 2012.

ERCOT. (2009). ERCOT’s 2008 Annual Report on the Texas Renewable Energy Credit 

Trading Program. Project No. 27706. Texas Public Utilities Commission. 

https://www.texasrenewables.com/reports.asp. Accessed September 4, 2012.

ERCOT. (2008). ERCOT’s 2007 Annual Report on the Texas Renewable Energy Credit 

Trading Program. Project No. 27706. Texas Public Utilities Commission. 

https://www.texasrenewables.com/reports.asp. Accessed September 4, 2012.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2012a). E-mail. Data on Green Power 

Partnership.

EPA. (2012b). Green Power Partnership – National Top 50. 

http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top50.htm. Accessed April 2011.

Green Power Network. (2010). “Holy Cross Energy Launches 80 kW Community Solar 

Program.” http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/news/news_template.shtml?id=1564. 

Accessed October 3, 2011.

Green Power Network. (2011). “Delta-Montrose Electric Association (Colo.) Launches 

Community Solar.” 

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/news/news_template.shtml?id=1620. Accessed 

October 3, 2011.

Heeter, J.; Bird, L. (October 2011). Status and Trends in U.S. Compliance and Voluntary 

Renewable Energy Certificate Markets (2010 Data). NREL/TP-6A20-52925. Golden, 

Colorado: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/pdfs/52925.pdf. Accessed August 17, 2012.

Heeter, J.; McLaren, J. (forthcoming). Innovations in Voluntary Renewable Energy 

Procurement: Methods for Expanding Access and Lowering Cost for Communities, 

Governments, and Businesses. Golden, Colorado: National Renewable Energy 

Laboratory.

Spectron Group. (2012). Data accessed through Vantage database. London, UK. 

www.spectrongroup.com. Accessed August 15, 2012.

Terada, R. (14 September 2012). Email. Center for Resource Solutions, San Francisco, 

CA.
25

Appendix A. Leading Purchasers in the EPA Green Power 

Partnership 

Table A-1. Top 25 Purchasers in the EPA Green Power Partnership Program, as of July 5, 

2012

Company & Rank

Annual 

Green 

Power 

Usage (kWh) 

GP % of 

Total 

Electricity 

Use -

2012

Green Power Resources

1. Intel Corporation 2,798,660,169 89% Biogas, Biomass, Small-hydro, 

Solar, Wind

2. Kohl's Department Stores 1,528,378,000 101% Solar, Wind

3. Microsoft Corporation 1,120,000,000 46% Biomass, Small-hydro, Wind

4. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. / California 

and Texas Facilities 872,382,088 28% Biogas, Solar, Wind

5. Whole Foods Market 800,257,623 107% Solar, Wind

6. Lockheed Martin Corporation 546,399,457 30% Biogas, Small-hydro, Solar, Wind

7. Staples 516,713,408 78% Biogas, Solar, Wind

8. City of Houston, TX 438,000,000 35% Wind

9. Starbucks 414,560,000 46% Biogas, Geothermal, Small-hydro, 

Wind

10. City of Austin, TX 370,464,066 100% Wind

11. BD 317,276,000 60% Solar, Wind

12. Hilton Worldwide 315,000,000 94% Small-hydro, Wind

13. McDonald's USA LLC 306,000,000 30% Wind

14. U.S. Department of Energy 295,974,615 6% Geothermal, Solar, Wind

15. City of Dallas, TX 295,883,744 40% Wind

16. Cisco Systems, Inc. 268,644,637 27% Wind

17. District of Columbia 267,042,489 50% Wind

18. U.S. Air Force 265,777,826 3% Biogas, Biomass, Solar, Wind

19. TD Bank, N.A. 261,827,000 100% Wind

20. U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency 261,056,565 101% Biogas, Biomass, Solar, Wind

Source: EPA 2012b.
26

Appendix B. EIA Estimated U.S. Green Pricing Sales by 

State

Table B-1. EIA Estimated U.S. Green Pricing Sales by State (MWh), 2010

State 2009 Green Pricing

Sales (MWh)

2010 Green Pricing

Sales (MWh)

AK - -

AL 7,659 12,915

AZ 104,548 130,494

AR 18,497 21,797

CA 809,262 640,910

CO 345,377 344,256

CT 192,971 235,413

DC 29,612 554,524

DE 90,160 178,343

FL 14,983 13,716

GA 56,306 60,536

HI - -

ID 48,820 44,711

IL 25,181 916,181

IN 112,885 140,329

IA 34,458 111,365

KS 73,435 1,020

KY 42,685 19,734

LA 3,350 1,948

ME 17,862 15,787

MD 171,138 525,206

MA 83,746 93,863

MI 172,649 174,820

MN 276,516 238,770

MS 1,113 5,315

MO 58,890 77,542

MT 6,308 5,484 

NE 15,067 209 

NV 81 69 

NH - 308 

NJ 18,369 29,312 

NM 219,210 190,673 

NY 358,271 785,378 

NC 12,898 24,424 

ND 34,761 7,387 

OH 24,468 18,033 

OK 231,508 302,669 

OR 1,130,908 1,145,227 

PA 300,515 196,510 

RI 33,150 32,998 

SC 28,351 25,836 

SD 263 1,925 

TN 73,160 63,870 

TX 5,102,146 6,920,311 

UT 180,173 186,522 

VT 16,674 20,666 

VA 23,584 85,313 

WA 579,015 555,440 

WV 855 177 

WI 449,843 136,060 

WY 42,935 37,537 

Source: EIA 861
27 

Appendix C. Community Solar Offers

Table C-1. Historical Development of Community Solar Offers

Utility/Provider Program Name Program

Size (kW)

Program 

Start Year

Ellensburg (WA) Community Solar Project 111 2006

Sacramento Municipal Utility 

District (CA) SolarShares 1,000 2008

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative 

(FL) Simple Solar 117 2008

Ashland (OR) Solar Pioneers II 64 2008

St. George (UT) SunSmart 250 2009

Bainbridge Island (WA) Solar for Sakai 5 2009

Holy Cross Energy/Clean Energy 

Collective (CO)

Mid Valley Solar Array 

(El Jebel) 80 2010

University Park Community Solar 

LLC (MD) University Park Solar 23 2010

Corvallis (OR) Corvallis OR, SunSlice Deal 2 2010

Okanogan County Elec. Coop. 

(WA) OCEC Community Solar 20.2 2010

Salt River Project (AZ) SRP EarthWise & Copper 

Crossing Solar Ranch 2,000 2011

Trico Electric (AZ) Trico SunWatts Sun Farm 193 2011

Delta-Montrose Electric 

Association (CO) Community Solar Array 20 2011

Holy Cross Energy/Clean Energy 

Collective (CO) Garfield County Array 858 2011

Berea Utilities (KY) Berea Solar Farm 14 2011

Edmonds (WA) Edmonds Community Solar 

Cooperative 4 2011

Okanogan County Elec. Coop. 

(WA) Winthrop Community Solar 23 2011

Poulsbo Project (WA) Poulsbo Middle School 75 2011

Seattle City Light (WA) Community Solar 24 2011

Tuscon Electric Power (AZ) Bright Tucson Community Solar 

Program 1,600 2011

UniSource Energy Services (AZ) Bright Arizona Community Solar 1,720 2012

Colorado Springs (CO) Community Solar Garden Facility 

Incentive Program 500 2012

Poudre Valley REA/Clean Energy 

Collective (CO) Community Solar 115 2012

Brewster Community Solar Garden 

Coop. Inc. (MA) Brewster Community Solar Garden 345.6 2012

Olympia (WA) Olympia WA, SunSlice Deal 75 2012

Acorn Energy Coop. (VT) Acorn Energy Solar One 150 2012

United Power (CO) Sol Partners Coop. Solar Farm 10 2012

San Miguel Power 

Association/Clean Energy 

Collective (CO)

SMPA Community Solar 1,000 2012