AltaTerra Briefing to Cover Growing Use of Renewable Energy Credits (REC) in Green Power Strategies

Sept. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- PALO ALTO, California, September 29, 2011- To meet sustainability goals, corporations and institutions are increasingly purchasing voluntary renewable energy credits (RECs).  Commercial and institutional purchases of RECs, which represent the generation and delivery of green power to the U.S. grid, have increased more than 350% from 2005 to 2009.  Despite the rising popularity of RECs, many corporations and institutions still have questions on how to effectively purchase RECs, communicate its value to stakeholders, and incorporate RECs into its strategies for sustainability and use of green power.

On Wednesday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m Pacific / 2:00 p.m. Eastern, AltaTerra will present an independent and interactive online briefing, “Corporate and Institutional Green Power Strategies: Understanding the Growing Market for Renewable Energy Certificates.” Experts from 3Degrees and Whole Foods Market will join AltaTerra to cover the basics of voluntary renewable energy certificates, offer best practices for purchasing RECs, review best practices for communicating the impact of renewable energy purchases to stakeholders, and discuss the future of the REC market.

Whole Foods Market (WFM) is utilizing RECs to offset 100% of their purchased electricity use and won the EPA’s Green Power Partner of the Year award in 2010 for the third time.  Kathy Loftus, global leader for sustainable energy management at Whole Foods, will discuss how Whole Foods has incorporated RECs into its corporate sustainability strategy, what factors they considered when buying RECs, and how the impact of their renewable energy purchase is communicated to stakeholders.

Steve McDougal, co-founder of 3Degrees, a leading REC supplier, will address the basics of purchasing RECs and answer large institutional buyers' most commonly asked questions:
 •   How do RECs help organizations realize their sustainability objectives?
 •   What are current REC prices? How are REC prices set?  How do prices vary by technology and region?
 •   How do RECs compare to other green power purchasing options and on-site renewable generation?

Don Bray, president of AltaTerra Research, will moderate the briefing and interactive Q&A.  He will also provide an overview on renewable energy certificates, who is purchasing RECs, and why.

"For corporations and institutions, voluntary RECs represent the primary method of acquiring green power, and account for more than 80% of renewable energy purchases. Yet the REC market is dynamic, and not widely understood.  Corporate and institutional customers are asking how their organizations can best utilize RECs in their sustainability efforts. We are pleased to have Whole Foods, a leading corporate REC purchaser, and 3Degrees, a leading REC supplier, to discuss best practices for purchasing and communicating RECs.” said Don Bray.

Further information and registration are available online at http://www.altaterra.net/event/greenpowerstrategies.

A limited number of press passes are available. Press pass requests may be submitted at www.altaterra.net/?presspass.

About AltaTerra Research
AltaTerra is a research consultancy specializing in sustainable business and the commercial marketplace for clean technology solutions. Through reports, executive events and advisory services, AltaTerra helps forward-looking organizations capitalize on new 'green' market opportunities. More information is available at http://www.AltaTerra.net.

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AltaTerra is a research consultancy specializing in sustainable business and the commercial marketplace for clean technology solutions. Through reports, executive events and advisory services, AltaTerra helps forward-looking organizations capitalize on new 'green' market opportunities. More information is available at http://www.AltaTerra.net.