Frequently Asked Questions & Glossary
About Electricity Generation in New England
About Purchasing Green Electricity
About New England GreenStart
About Electricity Generation in New England
What are the sources of my electricity?
In Rhode Island most of our electricity is generated from fossil fuel and nuclear power resources, causing significant harm to both the environment and public health. Less than 1% of the electricity in Rhode Island is generated from wind and solar. Your utility is required to send you a quarterly disclosure label that describes in detail the energy sources and emissions resulting from the electricity you use.
How does my electricity get to me?
All New England states share one single network of power, called the electric grid. Generators from all over the region feed power into this grid and energy is drawn out on an as needed basis. Since our electricity is based on a regional mix, the electricity that is actually delivered to your home is determined by physics and the flow of electrons. The New England electric grid is managed and operated by an Independent System Operator (ISO-NE). ISO-NE is responsible for managing the schedule of which power plants should run when so that there’s always enough power being generated to meet the needs of the region.
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About Purchasing Green Electricity
What is renewable/green energy?
Energy that is produced from rapidly replenishable or infinite sources such as the sun, wind and water is considered renewable electricity. Electricity generated from renewable sources has a lower impact on public health and the environment than that produced from fossil fuel and nuclear resources for many reasons, including:
1) It emits no air emissions;
2) It does not produce harmful radioactive waste;
3) Its fuel sources do not need to be mined or extracted from the earth.
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What are "green attributes" or "certificates?"
Green attributes are the environmental characteristics of a renewable energy resource. For every 1 megawatt-hour unit of electricity that is generated in New England, a corresponding "certificate" is produced. Each certificate documents the characteristics of the power source, information such as air emissions, fuel source, and date the facility began operating.
These certificates are tracked through a region-wide accounting system called the Generation Information System (GIS) to ensure that no double counting is allowed. There is a market demand for certificates associated with renewable energy resources because of consumers wishing to support cleaner energy and electric utilities that need to meet renewable energy mandates.
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What is the difference between purchasing a renewable electricity product, like New England GreenStart and purchasing a future renewable certificate product, like New England Wind Fund ?
The environmental benefits of purchasing renewable electricity and renewable energy certificates are the same. The difference between the two approaches is related to how the products are created or "bundled" and sold to the consumer.
When a consumer purchases renewable electricity it means that their utility or energy supplier has purchased enough renewable energy certificates to match their customer’s electricity consumption. With this method, the certificates have been "bundled" together with the energy commodity itself and are sold to the customer as one product on their monthly electric bill. PP&L’s New England GreenStart is a bundled renewable electricity product.
In communities where "bundled" renewable electricity products are not available, consumers can purchase the renewable energy certificates separately from their electricity. The consumers can determine what quantity of certificates to purchase, and charges are billed separately from the regular utility bill. However the environmental benefits of a renewable certificate product would be the same as a renewable electricity product as long as they are both based on the same mix of renewable energy certificates.
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How do I know renewable electricity will be delivered to my home?
Whether you purchase renewable electricity or standard electricity, you draw upon the "pool" of power that makes up the New England electric grid. While it is physically impossible to distinguish and deliver individual electrons to specific homes or businesses, by purchasing GreenStart you are ensuring that green electrons are being delivered to the power grid on your behalf, thus creating a cleaner, healthier overall energy source mix.
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What are "new" resources?
Renewable electricity generating facilities that began operation on or after January 1st, 1998 are considered “new” resources for the purposes of Rhode Island environmental mandates.
Why is it important to support "new" resources?
While it is important to support existing renewable facilities in order to keep them operating, you can make the biggest difference by helping to add more renewable energy resources to the system. Support for new renewable energy resources has the greatest impact on our energy mix by driving demand for new projects that will deliver incremental health and environmental benefits and will help change the way our electricity is made.
Why does it cost more to support renewable energy?
While many renewable energy resources, especially wind, are becoming increasingly cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels, it is currently still more expensive to generate energy from renewables. Part of this is due to the heavy subsidies traditional fossil fuels receive from our government, as well as the investments already made in our existing power infrastructure. However the more people who choose cleaner energy, the more competitive renewables will become, helping bring down the cost over time. Another reason why renewable energy costs more is that, since our electric utilities do not include as much renewable energy in their supply portfolio as many of us would like, there are additional transaction costs associated with incorporating these resources.
Are my payments tax deductible?
Yes. No need to keep track each month- in January we will send you a total amount to aid in you tax preperations. We are the only non-profit, a therefor tax deductiable option for Rhode Islanders!
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About New England GreenStart
How does New England GreenStart work?
New England GreenStart is part of a program called GreenUp that is being offered by your local utility, National Grid. GreenUp allows you to purchase cleaner, healthier electricity right on your regular utility bill and is available to all National Grid residential and small commercial customers. National Grid will continue to serve as your utility, providing all of its normal functions and services, while PP&L will be responsible for providing the renewable energy portion of your electricity supply.
All of the resources in New England GreenStart are located in New England. You can view the latest supply source label, which will vary over time.
How much of New England GreenStart is from new resources?
At least 30% of the mix comes from new renewables. PP&L is committed to increasing the percentage of new renewables in New England GreenStart, particularly wind and solar, as more projects come online. New England GreenStart gets its new renewables from projects in New England. You can view the latest supply source label, which will vary over time.
How do I know renewable electricity will de delivered to my home?
Electricity produced by the renewable energy resources in New England GreenStart flow into the New England power grid. Whether you purchase renewable electricity or standard electricity, you draw upon this "pool" of power, which is a mix of all the resources in the New England grid. While it is physically impossible to distinguish and deliver individual electrons to specific homes or businesses, by purchasing renewable electricity you are ensuring that green electrons are being delivered to this power grid on your behalf, thus creating a cleaner, healthier overall energy mix.
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Who do I call if I have a power outage?
In the event of a power outage or other service disruption, you should contact National Grid at 800-322-3223.
How will my electric bill be affected?
Charges for New England GreenStart will be included in your regular monthly utility bill from National Grid. Your standing as either a Standard Offer or Default Service customer will not change as a result of participating in this program.
You can purchase New England GreenStart to match either 100% or 50% of your electricity usage - so whether you have a large business or a small apartment, there is a New England GreenStart option that is right for you. New England GreenStart 100% costs 2.4 cents/kWh and New England GreenStart 50% costs 1.25 cents/kWh. For the average household using 500 kWh a month, your New England GreenStart charges would be $12..00 for 100% of your usage, or $6.25 for 50% of your usage.
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How will my Standard Offer or Default Service standing be affected?
When you sign up for New England GreenStart your standing as a Standard Offer or Default Service customer will remain the same. In the event you cancel your New England GreenStart service, you will continue to be served as National Grid’s customer in that same rate class.
Are there any other fees or charges related to New England GreenStart?
There are no additional fees associated with purchasing New England GreenStart. You may be invited to join, or make a charitable contribution, to PP&L’s other energy and community programs.
How do I sign up?
It is easy to sign up for New England GreenStart! You can enroll quickly and easily by clicking here for our online enrollment form (be sure to have a copy of your National Grid bill available for easy reference to your account information). If you would prefer to receive information in the mail or join over the phone, please call our office at 401-861-6111 and one of our member service representatives will assist you.
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What happens if I want to cancel my New England GreenStart service?
You can cancel your New England GreenStart service at any time. If you do decide to cancel, you will continue to be served as a regular National Grid customer with the same Standard Offer or Default Service standing you currently receive. There are no termination or exit fees. Call our office at 401-861-6111.
How do I know I am getting what I pay for?
As a New England GreenStart customer, PP&L will send you a quarterly Energy Source Disclosure Label and other informational materials. This disclosure label is also filed with the Public Utilities Commission, which has oversight of PP&L and GreenStart.
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For more information call PP&L at (401) 861-6111
or click here.
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Glossary of Terms
The following section aims to provide consumers with definitions of some of the commonly used terms regarding your electricity service and green power options.
Biomass - Energy produced from naturally replenishable resources such as plant matter, agricultural and forestry waste, and landfill gas.
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"Bundled" Renewable Electricity Product – A product where the energy commodity and green attributes, or characteristics, are matched together and sold as one unit.
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"Certificate-based" Renewable Electricity Product – A product where the green attributes, or characteristics, are sold independently from the energy commodity.
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Customer Charge - The fee you pay to receive service from your distribution company.
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Deregulation - In the electric industry, "deregulation" (also called "restructuring") describes the transition from utilities playing a monopolistic role (controlling all aspects of electricity supply and delivery), to a state in which other companies can participate in the market for generating and supplying electricity. After a region’s electric industry is restructured, electric services are separated into generation, transmission and distribution. You have the ability to choose the generation provider of your electric service. Whether you choose a competitive supplier or not, your current electric distribution utility will continue to be responsible for the delivery of your electricity.
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Distribution - The transport of electricity by your distribution company across local lines and into your home.
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Distribution Company - The company or distribution utility that provides your transmission and distribution services. Your distribution company will automatically function as your electricity supplier unless you choose an alternative company. It is your distribution company that is responsible for maintaining local power lines and restoring your power during outages. National Grid, formerly known as Narragansett Electric, is the distribution company for most of RI.
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Electric Grid – The network of power shared throughout New England. Generators from all over the region feed power into this grid and energy is drawn out on an as needed basis. Since our electricity is based on a regional mix, the electricity that is actually delivered to your home is determined by which power generators are located closest to you.
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Generation or "supply" - The power that is generated to meet your electricity needs. Power can be generated from resources such as coal or oil burning or from renewable resources such as wind and solar.
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Green Attributes – The environmental characteristics of a renewable energy resource. For every unit of energy that is generated in New England there is a corresponding certificate which describes the characteristics of the power source such as emissions data, when the facility began operating etc. For renewable energy resources, these attributes hold extra value.
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Green/Renewable Electricity – Energy that is produced from naturally replenishable or infinite sources such as the sun, wind and water are considered renewable resources. Renewable electricity generation has a lower impact on the environment than fossil fuel and nuclear power facilities because they emit little or no emissions, they do not need to be mined or extracted, and do not produce harmful radioactive waste.
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Kilowatt (kW) - A measure of power - one kilowatt is equal to 1,000 Watts or The power required to run ten 100 Watt light bulbs in any instant.
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Kilowatt hour (kWh) - A measure of your electricity consumption. One kilowatt hour is equivalent to 1,000 watt hours or running a 100 Watt light bulb for 10 hours.
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Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Charges - Also called a Systems Benefit Charge, fees that pay for programs to help you lower your electricity bills and reduce the environmental impacts of your energy use. In Rhode Island, these charges currently amount to about $1.00/month for the average household and mostly go toward efficiency programs. click here for more information about efficiency.)
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Restructuring– Sometimes called "deregulation," this describes the transition from utilities playing a monopolistic role (controlling all aspects of electricity supply and delivery), to a state in which other companies can participate in the market for generating and supplying electricity. After a region’s electric industry is restructured, electric services are separated into generation, transmission and distribution. You have the ability to choose the generation provider of your electric service. Whether you choose a competitive supplier or not, your current electric distribution utility will continue to be responsible for the delivery of your electricity.
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Small Hydroelectric – Electricity produced from the movement of water, such as the flow of rivers. "Small" hydroelectric facilities are usually considered those which are under 30 MW in size. Small hydroelectric facilities are generally considered to have lower environmental impacts than their larger counterparts.
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Solar Electricity– Electricity produced from the sun. Solar electricity, also known as photovoltaics, is unlimited in supply and produces no emissions.
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Standard Offer - Standard offer refers to the electricity purchased by National Grid on your behalf and distributed to you. The rate of the standard offer is set by the Public Utilities Commission, and it changes from time to time. You have the right to choose an alternative supplier instead of the Standard Offer, but as a practical matter no companies are offering energy to residences and small businesses.
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Transmission - The transport of electricity from the electricity generating facilities across high voltage lines to your local network of lower-voltage electricity distribution wires.
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