Bonneville Environmental Foundation Supports New Consumer Protection Standard for Renewable Energy Carbon Offsets

Center for Resource Solutions certification program sets consumer protection and environmental integrity standards for greenhouse gas emission reductions.

SAN FRANCISCO — February 26, 2008 — The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and the Center for Resource Solutions announced today that BEF Clean Energy Offsets are now Green-e® Climate certified.

BEF is one of the first organizations in the renewable energy industry to offer carbon offsets certified by Green-e Climate, the nation’s first consumer protection program for greenhouse gas emissions. BEF’s renewable energy certificates (or Green Tag) products have been certified with the Green-e Energy standard since the program inception.

The new Green-e Climate certification includes a three-step verification process that ensures the following: that supplies equal sales, greenhouse gas reductions are independently certified and that consumer disclosures are accurate and follow program guidelines. The voluntary certification standard safeguards the carbon offset market from false claims and fraud.

"Our mission is to leave a legacy of a healthy environment,” said Margie Gardner, chief executive officer of BEF. “Purchasing BEF Clean Energy Offsets should be an important part of any individual and corporate efforts to reduce global warming pollution and spur the use and development of renewable energy. By purchasing Green-e Climate Certified offsets from BEF, individuals and companies can be more responsible environmental stewards and have the confidence of using a certified product they can trust.”

One renewable energy certificate represents the attributes associated with one-megawatt hour of energy from a renewable source. Energy from renewable sources produces less environmental waste and pollution. Customers who purchase BEF Clean Energy Offsets benefit by displacing other non-renewable sources from the national electric grid.

Rob Harmon, chief innovation officer for BEF added, “Since launching the first carbon calculator on the Internet in 2001, BEF has long believed that transparency and accuracy were the keys to building successful environmental markets. We are gratified that Green-e Climate has established this new national standard.”

National Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Energy Program Co-Director and BEF Vice Chairman Ralph Cavanagh agrees. “We particularly appreciate BEF’s leadership role in rigorously linking the markets for RECs and carbon offsets, so that those who want to help reduce global warming pollution can dedicate part of their electricity payments to additional renewable energy generation. NRDC has a longstanding commitment to ensure that customers who buy RECs get what they are paying for, in terms of verified environmental benefits. “

About Green-e and Center for Resource Solutions

Green-e is the nation's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. Green-e offers certification and verification of renewable energy and greenhouse gas mitigation products through Green-e Energy, the renewable energy certification program; Green-e Climate, the greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and and Green-e Marketplace, for organizations that purchase or generate sufficient quantities of renewable energy. To learn more about Green-e certified products and programs available in all 50 states, visit www.green-e.org.


Green-e is a program of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a San Francisco–based nonprofit with a global impact. CRS brings forth expert responses to climate change issues with the speed and effectiveness necessary to provide real-time solutions. Our leadership through collaboration and environmental innovation builds policies and consumer-protection mechanisms in renewable energy, greenhouse gas reductions, and energy efficiency that foster healthy and sustained growth in national and international markets. www.resource-solutions.org. 


About Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit organization, was established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources and restore watershed ecosystems. Through revenues generated from the sale of green power products, BEF funds projects that support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass and restore damaged watersheds. Revenues generated from its sales of Green Tags directly support additional new watershed restoration and renewable energy projects such as the national Solar4RSchools program. More information is available at www.greentagsusa.org and www.solar4rschools.org.