Mass Energy - Renewable Energy Certificate Incentive

The Energy Consumers Alliance of New England (ECANE), which operates as Mass Energy Consumers Alliance in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and as People’s Power & Light in Rhode Island, is a non-profit organization that buys renewable energy credits (RECs) from photovoltaic (PV) systems and small wind-energy systems. The RECs from PV systems and small wind-energy systems are packaged together with low-impact hydro and biomass RECs and sold as New England GreenStart, a renewable energy-based electricity product marketed through GreenUp. GreenUp is a green power program offered by National Grid, an investor-owned electric utility serving customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. ECANE offers to purchase RECs from PV systems and small wind-energy systems installed in Connecticut after 1998 at $30 per megawatt-hour ($0.03 per kilowatt-hour) for a period of three years. After the three-year contract, owners can consider other opportunities for selling RECs in the green power market; these options include extending the purchase agreement with ECANE. PV system owners and small-wind energy system owners may also choose to donate their RECs as a contribution to green power market development. Income from the sale of RECs will not reduce the benefits of net metering. RECs sold to ECANE may not be claimed by any other electricity supplier or used by electric utilities to meet renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) or emissions restrictions.