Savings Central.com

Green Power

I want to “go green.” How can I support the idea of renewable power?
We welcome your interest! It's important that we all help to preserve and protect our precious natural resources! CH Energy Group, Central Hudson's parent company, has invested in renewable energy facilities through an independent subsidiary, by way of involvement with two wind projects in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (for additional information, see the news release, an ethanol facility (see the news release), a biomass plant in upstate New York (see the news release) and an electric generation project using gas from a municipal landfill and wastewater treatment plant in Auburn, N.Y. (see the news release). Also, Central Hudson is now using a biodiesel blend to fuel our truck fleet (see the news release), our resource recovery recycling program is in its 20th year (see the news release), we were honored by the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (see the news release), and the Solar Energy Power Association ranks us among the top ten investor-owned utilities supporting solar energy in the United States (see the news release).

In today’s deregulated* energy market, individual customers have two options to support renewable energy, both of which are offered by independent companies: 1) you may purchase your energy supply through a service company that sells electricity generated with renewable fuels (such as wind, small hydro, biomass, solar, etc.) and/or 2) you may also purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).

Energy Service Companies:
The electricity produced by renewable generators is generally sold into the wholesale electricity market, and becomes part of the energy mix purchased by utilities and electric suppliers on behalf of their customers. Independent electric suppliers, also called Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), are listed on our web site under "Energy Choice," and some of these may offer renewable energy options. Contact these companies directly to learn of their current programs and offerings. Central Hudson will still deliver the energy you purchase from these companies.

Renewable Energy Certificates:
RECs represent the environmental benefits of electricity produced through renewable resources, and are sold to residential customers, businesses, institutions and municipalities by independent companies to encourage the development of renewable energy. REC purchases provide a way for you to support renewable energy, as they help fund, for example, ongoing operating costs of existing facilities or the construction of new renewable power plants. They also help developers obtain financing for new renewable energy facilities. Please note that when you purchase RECs, your electric supply is still purchased on the wholesale market by your utility, Central Hudson (or by an independent supplier of your choice), and your utility bill does not change. You will likely receive a separate bill for the RECs from the independent provider. Purchasing RECs does not alter the content of the energy provided to your home or business, nor does it mean that additional renewable energy is being generated to match your specific needs, only that you are supporting its future development. Several municipalities, organizations, and individuals in the Hudson Valley already purchase RECs in order to support renewable energy in our state and nation. Independent companies offering RECs include Community Energy, Sterling Planet and others listed on the NYS Public Service Commission’s web site, and many sell them nationally. To view this list, and to learn more about renewable energy options, visit www.AskPSC.com, or see the links, below.

*As a result of deregulation, Central Hudson is an energy delivery company only, and we no longer own electric generating facilities (other than our small, local hydroelectric stations, which use renewable energy to provide less than two percent of our customers’ total electric energy needs). Our former power plants were sold to independent companies that, together with other generators throughout New York (including those using renewable resources), now sell their energy into the wholesale market. It is through this market that Central Hudson purchases electricity on behalf of its customers. The wholesale market assigns energy to utilities based on the total demand of all customers, their geographic location, and the current operating status of all available power plants and transmission lines, etc.; it does not identify the fuel source of electricity purchased until some months afterwards. The electricity supplied by this market is a mix produced by all types of generators operating in the region.

It is important to note that as electricity produced from renewable energy plants is often variable and dispersed, continued investment in electric transmission and generation facilities statewide is needed to meet the growth in energy demands and to ensure reliable and continuous service.

Learn more about New York's Green Power Program on the New York State Public Service Commission Web site.

View a list of companies offering renewable energy certificates regionally and nationally on the
Department of Energy’s Web site.

Find independent energy suppliers and companies marketing electricity and/or renewable energy certificates by zip code on the PSC’s Web site.

See a list of independent energy suppliers available to Central Hudson customers.

Learn of energy conservation steps you can take on Central Hudson’s web site.