Green energy, the commodity, is the actual electricity produced at green energy plants. These are the electrons that are put to the electric grid. From there, they travel at the blink of an eye, following the path of least resistance, and are consumed about as quickly as they travel. These electrons are just like any other electron on the electric grid. The only differentiator between electrons on the grid is where they were generated and how much it costs to produce them.
Tickets verify the sources of green energy production.
Each ticket represents the premium value of one megawatt hour of certified renewable power generation, above the price of the commodity energy delivered into the transmission grid. The tickets compensate for the extra costs now associated with generating electricity from sources that are green, renewable and sustainable. Today, it costs more to make electricity at green energy plants. Large central power stations have economies of scale and lower unit production costs, so the cost of electricity from these conventional facilities is lower. These lower costs do not take into account conventional electricity generation's effects on health and the environment.