Renewable energy

Renewable energy is generated by sources that can be renewed as opposed to sources that can be used only once, such as fossil fuels.

Under Massachusetts state law, a variety of resources qualify as renewable. The primary sources are:

  • solar panels
  • wind turbines
  • small hydroelectric projects

The supply of sunlight, wind, and flowing water is not diminished when we “mine” energy from them.

Buying electricity generated by renewable energy sources is important!

Electricity generated by renewable sources does not create air pollution or the greenhouse gases that are generated from burning fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas, coal, or propane. Burning of those fossil fuels is the primary source of the increased greenhouse gases in our atmosphere — the chief cause of the climate change impacts happening now across the world.

Massachusetts state law requires all electricity that is sold in the state to include a minimum amount from renewable sources. When you choose the Standard Green or New England Green options in Swampscott Community Power, you buy more than the minimum. Instead you buy all of your electricity from renewable sources!

Buying local is important!

Buying renewable energy from the New England region helps to create demand for new renewable energy projects on our New England grid, which drives the development of new renewable energy in our region.

Swampscott prioritizes buying from new renewable energy projects in the New England region for both the Standard Green and New England Green options. For Standard Green, you receive more than the minimum required by state law. For New England Green, all of the electricity you receive is renewable and from our region.   

It means when you participate in the Standard Green or New England Green options, your choice is helping to make our local grid greener and cleaner!

Buying extra renewable electricity makes a difference!

For example, in 2022, programs like Swampscott Community Power purchased more than 776,000 Class I RECs voluntarily.

This equates to 776,000 MWh (or 776,000,000 kWh) of energy generated from renewable sources, which is the amount of energy generated by 600 MW of solar PV or 200 MW of wind in one year.

This equals almost 2% of the total electricity used in the state. It means an additional almost 2% of the electricity used in the state was from renewable sources in 2022 because of programs like Swampscott Community Power.

What does it mean to buy renewable electricity / what are RECs?

Unless you have a renewable energy system, such as solar panels, plugged directly into your home or office, you cannot purchase the specific electricity that is generated by a renewable energy project. The electricity flowing through the grid is a comingled mix of electricity generated by renewable energy projects as well as electricity generated by burning fossil fuels.

As a result, a separate accounting system has been created to keep track of renewable energy and allow it to be bought and sold. That system uses renewable energy certificates, or RECs. Every time a renewable energy project generates 1 megawatt-hour of electricity, 1 REC is minted. That REC can then be sold. Purchasing a REC gives you, and no one else, the right to say you used the electricity from that renewable energy project.

Anyone who wishes to purchase renewable electricity must then purchase 2 things:

  • the electricity itself from the grid
  • RECs that equal the amount of electricity they wish to claim as renewable

(These two costs are often bundled together, which is why renewable energy costs a bit more.) Whoever buys RECs has the right to say they used the electricity generated by the associated renewable energy projects. Those RECs are then retired so that they cannot be purchased by anyone else, and no one else can claim to have used that electricity.

Anyone buying RECs has the option to buy as many as they wish, including buying RECs that equal more than the electricity used. Because buying RECs provides an important source of revenue for renewable energy developers, voluntarily buying additional RECs can be a strategy for supporting renewable energy.

What are MA Class I RECs?

MA Class I renewable energy certificates (RECs) are from renewable energy projects that began commercial operation after 1997, generate electricity using any of the following technologies, and meet all other program eligibility criteria:

  • Solar photovoltaic
  • Solar thermal electric
  • Wind energy
  • Small hydropower
  • Landfill methane and anaerobic digester gas
  • Marine or hydrokinetic energy
  • Geothermal energy
  • Eligible biomass fuel

Purchasing MA Class I RECs helps to create demand for new renewable energy projects on the New England grid. By purchasing more MA Class I RECs than is required by state law, you can help to drive the development of new renewable energy projects in our region.