An increasing number of utilities in the U.S. offer renewable energy purchasing options. These special programs, called green tariffs, allow a class of customers to source up to 100% of their electricity from renewable resources. A green tariff customer purchases the renewable energy and associated renewable energy certificates (RECs) and the utility adds an additional line item on the electric bill. For more information, see the American Cities Climate Challenge Cities Renewables Accelerator’s Green Procurement Foundation webinar, which describes Green Tariffs in more detail.
PROCUREMENT GUIDANCE MENU
- Overview
- Developing a Strategy
- Community Solar
- Understand Ownership Models
- Understand Your Subscription Models
- Understand Your Regulatory Context
- Select Your City’s Roles
- Plan Your Project
- Becoming a Subscriber
- Learn What Percentage of a Project Your City Can Subscribe To, Given Your Local Regulations
- Evaluate the Various Subscription Projects/Models Available to You
- Evaluate Ways to Mitigate Subscription Contract Risks
- Support Local Economic Development and Job Creation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce Project Costs to Capture Economic Savings for the City
- Becoming a Host
- Understand Regulations for Community Solar Siting
- Screen City Properties for Potential Solar Development and Weigh the Costs and Benefits of Using a Municipal Property to Site Your Community Solar Project
- Consider Working with a Solar Siting Consultant to Ensure Site Suitability
- Assess the Value of Candidate Sites and Consider Issuing a RFI or RFP to Understand Lease and/or Project Pricing for Your City-Owned Site(s)
- Screen for Interconnection
- Help Facilitate Permitting and Zoning Processes
- Support Local Economic Development and Job Creation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce project costs to capture economic savings for the city
- Leverage Value from Existing Assets (e.g., brownfields, airports, and parking structures)
- Becoming a Facilitator
- Leverage Existing City Programs and Departments to Improve Community Solar Project(s)
- Conduct Outreach and Educate the Community About Community Solar
- Facilitate Partnerships or Coordinate Project Research, Development, and Aggregation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce Project Costs to Capture Economic Savings for the City
- Leverage Value from Existing Assets
- Becoming a Project Manager
- Conduct the Site Selection
- Identify Your Subscription/Ownership Model
- Develop Your Subscription Management Strategy
- Solicit Bids and Select a Project Developer
- Project and Subscription Management
- Support Local Economic Development and Job Creation
- Enable Clean Energy Access to Low-Income Populations
- Reduce Project Costs to Capture Economic Savings for the City
- Leverage Value from Existing Assets
- Create a Plan of Action
- Becoming a Subscriber
- Monitor and Share
- On-Site Solar
- Off-Site Physical PPA
- Virtual PPA
- Green Tariff
- Funding Guidance
- Large-Scale Renewables Aggregation
- Solarize
Procurement Guidance Menu
Green Tariffs
Green Tariff
