Communicating Your Commitment:
Your Guide to Clean Energy Messaging
Congratulations on your recent purchase of clean energy from Renewable Choice! Whether
you’ve purchased green power in the form of renewable energy credits (RECs) or emission
reductions in the form of carbon offsets, or both, you’ve taken an important step towards
reducing your organization’s carbon emissions, improving air quality, and supporting the
growth of clean energy technology.
This guide is intended to provide you with information that will enable you to share the
news about your purchase with both internal and external stakeholders.
Table of Contents
About Renewable Energy Credits (Green Power)
How to talk about your green power purchase
Equivalencies
More about your green power purchase
3
4
4
4
About Carbon Offsets
How to talk about your carbon offset purchase
Equivalencies
More about your carbon offset purchase
5
6
6
6
Phrases to Avoid
7
Green Power Press Release Template
8
Carbon Offset Press Release Template
9
Sample Social Media Announcements
10
Sample Web Content
10
For More Guidance
11
Renewable Choice Logo and Logo Use Guidelines
12
Clean Energy Glossary
13
About Renewable Energy Credits (Green Power)
Renewable energy facilities like wind and solar farms generate what are known as
renewable energy credits, or certificates (RECs), when they produce electricity. RECs are
the widely accepted way to track and trade renewable energy in North America.
Your purchase of RECs supports renewable electricity production in the region of
generation. For every unit of renewable electricity generated, an equivalent amount of
RECs is produced, and by purchasing and pairing RECs with your electricity service, you are
using and receiving the benefits of that renewable electricity. You will continue to receive a
separate bill from your utility for electricity service.
Your REC purchase also helps build a market for renewable electricity. The increased
demand for, and generation of, renewable electricity helps reduce conventional electricity
generation in the region where the renewable energy project is located. It also has other
local and global environmental benefits which may include emitting little or no regional air
pollution or carbon dioxide.
RECs are the best way an organization can ensure that it is purchasing green power,
because it’s impossible to distinguish one electron from another. We like to use the
analogy of a bathtub: turn on a coal tap, a nuclear tap, and a wind power tap, the tub still
fills up with water. Once those electrons join the grid, there’s no way to separate where
they came from or how green they are. Purchasing RECs in the same quantity as an
organization’s electricity consumption guarantees that the energy used has been added to
the grid from a renewable source.
RECs allow consumers to make a product choice in the electricity market when they are
otherwise unable to do so. RECs ensure that the amount of electricity an organization uses
is added to the power grid from a renewable energy facility. They are the so-called “proof”
of green power generation. Organizations that use green power from Renewable Choice
can be assured of the validity of their purchase because we sell only Green-e® Energy
certified RECs which meet the environmental and consumer-protection standards set forth
by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions (learn more at http://www.green-e.org).
Green power conveys many direct and indirect benefits to organizations. These benefits
include, but are not limited to:
 Taking responsibility for an organization’s environmental impact by accounting for the
organization’s Scope 2 emissions and its overall carbon footprint
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Promoting the development of clean energy projects and technologies while increasing
the demand for renewables
Reducing dependence on fossil fuels and securing domestic sources of energy
production
Stimulating economic growth in emerging markets and creating renewable energy jobs
Strengthening revenues in local communities where renewable energy projects are
located
Improving air quality and human health and safety by reducing pollution
Creating a socially responsible brand that is attractive to customers and other
stakeholders
How to Talk About Your Green Power Purchase
Renewable Choice has developed guidelines for communicating your purchase. Given the
complexity of how green power works, it can be helpful to have easy ways to talk about it
with your stakeholders.
Here are some easy phrases that you can use to communicate your commitment:
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We have committed to use ____% green power by purchasing renewable energy credits
We are supporting the generation of green power
We are reducing our environmental impact by choosing green power
We have purchased _____ kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power in the form of
renewable energy credits
Equivalencies
One way to communicate your commitment is in terms of its impact equivalencies. We
recommend using the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator, which can be found at
http://www2.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator.
Here are some suggested statements you can make about the equivalent impact of your
purchase:
 The generation of the renewable energy we have purchased has a greenhouse gas
benefit equivalent to…
 The 100% renewable electricity that we have chosen over our regular electric service
has a greenhouse gas benefit equivalent to…
More about Your Green Power Purchase
The renewable energy projects that Renewable Choice works with are helping to grow the
voluntary market for renewable energy. In the voluntary market, RECs are purchased by
organizations that choose renewable energy, rather than being required to purchase it.
These projects often do not benefit from state or federal compliance requirements.
All of Renewable Choice’s RECs are certified by Green-e® Energy, the leading consumer
industry standard for green power certification. The Green-e program was established by
the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions to provide an objective, comprehensive
standard for consumers to compare renewable energy options. To learn more, visit
www.green-e.org.
To receive certification from Green-e, Renewable Choice must track the acquisition and
sales of RECs via an annual audit to ensure that we are compliant with Green-e’s rigorous
standards. This translates into assurance for our customers: you can be certain that the
environmental benefits you are claiming when you purchase RECs from Renewable Choice
are yours and yours alone.
About Carbon Offsets
A carbon offset, or verified emission reduction (VER) is a counterbalancing mechanism used
to ensure that a metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is removed from the
atmosphere or prevented from entering it. VERs are valuable in helping organizations
achieve reductions in emissions that come from sources other than purchased electricity,
such as business travel.
Offsets like the VERs that are sourced by Renewable Choice come from a variety of projects
around the world that are working to reduce atmospheric emissions, either through the
process of removing those emissions via carbon sequestration, or by preventing them from
entering the atmosphere through incineration.
Sequestration is the process of sinking carbon dioxide into plant matter. For example,
forestry is considered a method of carbon offsetting because trees act as a carbon sink,
removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Incineration occurs when other greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as methane (CH4) are
captured and flared in order to prevent them from entering the atmosphere. This is
important because methane and other GHGs are actually more damaging than carbon
dioxide. When the methane is burned, it results in carbon dioxide and water.
By purchasing carbon offsets and removing damaging GHGs from the atmosphere,
organizations take responsibility for the overall impact of their business activities, help to
reduce that impact, and promote increased air quality and the development of carbon
offsetting technologies.
Renewable Choice only sells carbon offsets that are quantifiable and verifiable. All of our
emission reductions have been verified by credible third-party organizations including
Climate Action Reserve and the American Carbon Registry, among others. This ensures that
you receive carbon offsets of the highest standard and transparency.
How to Talk About Your Carbon Offset Purchase
Renewable Choice has developed guidelines for communicating your purchase of carbon
offsets. Here are some easy phrases that you can use to communicate your commitment:
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We offset our ______________ (business travel, employees’ commute, etc.) with the
purchase of verified emission reductions
We are reducing our environmental impact by purchasing carbon offsets
We are reducing our environmental footprint by support carbon reduction projects
Equivalencies
One way to communicate your commitment is in terms of its impact equivalencies. We
recommend using the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator, which can be found at
http://www2.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator.
Here are some suggested statements you can make about the equivalent impact of your
purchase:
 Our use of verified emission reductions is equivalent to…
 The carbon offsets we have purchased to reduce the environmental impact of [our
business travel] has a greenhouse gas benefit equivalent to…
More about Your Carbon Offset Purchase
All the emission reduction projects that Renewable Choice chooses to work with are
certified by highly respected, third-party organizations that are helping to grow the carbon
offset market. Some of these organizations include the Climate Action Reserve, the Verified
Carbon Standard, Green-e® Climate, and WWF’s Gold Standard. These verifiers ensure the
credibility and quality of the emission reductions and conduct periodic audits of projects to
ensure that emissions are being measured and accounted for properly.
Renewable Choice works with emission reduction projects that don’t benefit from state or
federal compliance requirements. These projects participate in the voluntary market where
carbon offsets are purchased by organizations that choose to reduce their carbon footprint.
We also aim to work with projects that serve to develop economies in rural communities
and with project developers with a proven track record of success and accountability.
Phrases to Avoid
It’s important to be specific and transparent about your purchase of clean energy so that
stakeholders can understand your commitment. The following are concepts and phrases
that may be misleading, confusing, or inaccurate, so we recommend avoiding them.
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“Green Tags”
“Carbon Neutral” or “Carbon Free”: Carbon neutrality is a goal, and using RECs can help
you to achieve that goal. However, true carbon neutrality can only be achieved through
a combination of energy efficiencies, carbon reduction, and carbon-reducing
technologies that neutralize all sources of emissions. If you’ve only purchased green
power or emission reductions, this will help you towards a goal of carbon neutrality, but
does not guarantee your status. Organizations interested in measuring their carbon
emissions and working towards carbon neutrality should contact our GHG accounting
partner, Mosaic Sustainability, for help.
“100% powered by wind”: This statement can be confusing, as it is most commonly
associated with the onsite generation of renewables.
“We’re wind powered”: This type of statement should only be used when the details of
your renewable energy credit purchase is made available at the same time.
Green Power Press Release Template
[Organization] Announces Partnership with Renewable Choice Energy
[Organization] to purchase green power from Boulder-based firm [to reduce its
environmental impact]
[CITY, STATE] [DATE] – [Organization] announced today that it has purchased green power
from Renewable Choice Energy to equal ____% of the organization’s electricity use in [year].
In total, the organization has purchased ________ kilowatt hours of renewable energy
credits (RECs) from Renewable Choice.
[About Organization]
[About Organization’s Sustainability Efforts]
[Internal Quote]
RECs are the way that green power is tracked and traded in North America and are used by
thousands of U.S. and Canadian organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, to decrease environmental impact. The RECs purchased by [Organization] are
certified by Green-e® Energy, the nation’s leading third-party certification program for
renewable energy.
[Quote from Renewable Choice – contact your sales representative or
[email protected]]
Your Boilerplate
About Renewable Choice
Renewable Choice Energy is a pioneering global supplier of products and services that
advance clean energy development and the adoption of carbon reduction technologies,
providing customized solutions to corporate, industrial, and institutional buyers.
Recognized as a leading partner to more than 160 Fortune 500 companies and a generous
cross-section of the Global 500, the firm’s portfolio also includes scores of educational
institutions, municipalities, green buildings, and small-to-medium enterprises. Renewable
Choice was the recipient of prestigious Green Power Leadership Awards from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 2006, 2012, 2014, and 2015, and is a certified B
Corporation.
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Carbon Offset Press Release Template
[Organization] Announces Partnership with Renewable Choice Energy
[Organization] to purchase carbon offsets from Boulder-based firm [to reduce its
environmental impact]
[CITY, STATE] [DATE] – [Organization] announced today that it has purchased carbon offsets
from Renewable Choice Energy to reduce the environmental impact of its [business travel,
supply chain, etc.]. In total, the organization has purchased ___ metric tons of verified
emission reductions from Renewable Choice.
[About Organization]
[About Organization’s Sustainability Efforts]
[Internal Quote]
Carbon offsets are used by thousands of global organizations to reduce the greenhouse gas
emissions associated with business activities such as fuel combustion, travel, waste
generation, and the supply chain. The carbon offsets purchased by [Organization] are thirdparty verified to the highest available standards.
[Quote from Renewable Choice – contact your sales representative or
[email protected]]
Your Boilerplate
About Renewable Choice
Renewable Choice Energy is a pioneering global supplier of products and services that
advance clean energy development and the adoption of carbon reduction technologies,
providing customized solutions to corporate, industrial, and institutional buyers.
Recognized as a leading partner to more than 160 Fortune 500 companies and a generous
cross-section of the Global 500, the firm’s portfolio also includes scores of educational
institutions, municipalities, green buildings, and small-to-medium enterprises. Renewable
Choice was the recipient of prestigious Green Power Leadership Awards from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 2006, 2012, 2014, and 2015, and is a certified B
Corporation.
###
Sample Social Media Announcements
Twitter
We’re using #greenpower from @RenewableChoice to reduce the environmental impact of
our purchased electricity! #renewables #sustainability
We’re using carbon offsets from @RenewableChoice to reduce the environmental impact of
our business travel! #sustainability #carbonfootprint
Facebook
We’re using green power! Thanks to our partners at Renewable Choice Energy, we’re
reducing the environmental impact of our purchased electricity. Ask us how. #renewables
We’re using carbon offsets! Thanks to our partners at Renewable Choice Energy, we’re
reducing the environmental impact of our purchased electricity. Ask us how.
#carbonfootprint
LinkedIn
We’ve taken an important step towards reducing our environmental impact. We’re now
using green power equal to [or a percentage of] our purchased electricity, thanks to our
partners at Renewable Choice Energy.
We’ve taken an important step towards reducing our environmental impact. We’re now
using verified emission reductions to offset our [business travel], thanks to our partners at
Renewable Choice Energy.
Sample Web Content
We recognize the importance of reducing our environmental impact for the sustained
success of our organization. To that end, we’re using green power in the form of renewable
energy credits (RECs) equivalent to ____% of our annual purchased electricity. The RECs
we’ve purchased from Renewable Choice Energy are Green-e® Energy certified, which meet
the environmental and consumer-protection standards set forth by the nonprofit Center for
Resource Solutions (learn more at www.green-e.org). Our RECs are the equivalent of
removing X number of passenger vehicles from the road for a year.
We recognize the importance of reducing our environmental impact for the sustained
success of our organization. To that end, we’ve purchased verified emission reductions in
the form of carbon offsets to counterbalance the emissions from our [business travel]. The
carbon offsets we’ve purchased from Renewable Choice Energy have all been third-party
verified to the highest accountability standards.
For More Guidance
The Renewable Choice marketing & communications team is here to help! We can provide
you with support on messaging your purchase, as well as additional templates and
resources to help you with stakeholder communications. We’re also happy to proofread
any content for accuracy.
You can reach us anytime by emailing [email protected], or ask your sales
representative for an introduction.
Renewable Choice Logo and Logo Use Guidelines
Clean Energy Glossary
American Wind™
American Wind is the name of Renewable Choice’s 100% wind power product. It is a blend
of RECs from wind farms across North America, primarily the United States. All American
Wind RECs are certified by Green-e® Energy.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e)
A common value used in reporting and measuring GHG emissions, regardless of the
emission source. GHGs are measured based on their global warming potential (GWP), and
converted into CO2e in order to be able to aggregate all generated emissions. In this way,
an organization can consider its total volume of CO2e emissions as its carbon footprint,
even if that footprint includes methane and other GHGs. This is especially useful when
reporting emissions or when purchasing carbon offsets.
Carbon Offsets
Carbon offsets are emission reduction mechanisms designed to counterbalance the
emissions produced through business activities. The offsets are an investment in projects
that reduce or prevent an equivalent amount of emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Offsets are used to help organizations take responsibility for emissions produced from
activities such as onsite fuel combustion, business travel, waste generation, and more.
Examples of project types that offset emissions include reforestation and conservation,
methane capture and flare, and fuel switching.
Clean Source™
Clean Source is the name of Renewable Choice’s blended power product, featuring RECs
from a variety of renewable energy generation technologies from across the United States.
These technologies include wind power, solar power, power from small hydroelectric
projects, geothermal power, and power from biomass. All Clean Source RECs are certified
by Green-e Energy.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons that are burned to produce energy. The predominant sources
of hydrocarbons are coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas. The burning of fossil fuels emits
greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global climate change, as well as particulates
that can negatively impact human health.
Most electricity worldwide is generated by burning fossil fuels, primarily coal, and electricity
production is the single largest source of GHGs.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol
The GHG Protocol divides emissions into three categories based on the generation source of
the emissions.
Scope 1 emissions are generated from combusting fuel onsite, for example, to
generate heat or operate a boiler. In this case, the organization can exercise greater
control over the amount and type of fuel used. Carbon offsets are the appropriate
mechanism for neutralizing these activities.
Scope 2 emissions result from purchased electricity, and are considered indirect
emission sources. Organizations can best reduce the impact of these emissions by
purchasing RECs (green power).
Scope 3 emissions are other indirect emission sources such as business travel,
employee commute, emissions from landfill waste, and those emissions within the
supply chain. Again, organizations should use carbon offsets to neutralize these
emission sources.
Kilowatt Hour
A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a unit of energy equal to 1,000 watt-hours. The electricity
produced by power companies is generally available for purchase in units of kWh.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy, also referred to as clean energy, clean power, or green power, is defined
as energy that is derived from a source that is regenerative or cannot be depleted. Typical
sources of renewable energy include wind power, solar power, tidal power, hydropower,
geothermal power, and the heat produced from the combustion of biomass.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)
RECs are a market mechanism that represents the environmental benefits associated with
generating electricity from renewable energy sources and are the established, recognized
way that green power is tracked and traded in North America. A renewable energy
production facility, such as a wind farm, is credited with one REC for every 1,000 kWh of
electricity produced. A certifying body assigns each REC a unique identifier to ensure the
REC is not double counted. The clean power itself is then fed into the national electric grid.