Benchmark Report On Green Power Provides Insights Into Key Market Rules.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 1999--

A just completed benchmark study provides important insights into the market rules that govern green power.

Compiled by energy industry experts from Boston-based Environmental Futures, Inc. (EFI), the report provides stakeholders with the latest information about electricity disclosure, certification, and tracking initiatives that impact the sale of green power.

These issues are especially important now that 24 states are initiating customer choice and significant new opportunities exist for the sale of green power. But for stakeholders to succeed with this new product line, they need to understand the fundamental building blocks of this specialized market.

"This report is a critical tool for all those involved in the green power market," said Larry Alexander, Director of EFI's Energy Division and one of the report's authors. "Consumers believe that their current electricity is greener than it actually is. State disclosure laws help set the record straight. They make the case for green power." The EFI report tracks disclosure laws in each of the 21 states that have adopted them thus far.

Credible certification and tracking methods are also integral to the development of a robust green power market. EFI's report discusses the latest initiatives for certification and analyzes Green-e's certification programs in California and Pennsylvania.

Broad differences in definitions over what qualifies as "green" or "renewable" are noted in the report. For instance, Green-e's Pennsylvania project includes energy efficiency in its definition of renewable energy, while Green-e's California project does not. Meanwhile, Texas green power regulations accept natural gas as "green."

The report also evaluates various methods for tracking electricity in order to verify information contained in disclosure statements. The report features an in-depth analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of settlement-based tracking, tagging, audits, and hybrid approaches.

Environmental Futures, Inc. is a management and communications consulting firm specializing in the energy and environmental sectors. The 10-year-old firm has worked closely with a number of regulated utilities seeking to develop green pricing programs. The firm has also performed work for the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Electric, the Canadian Electricity Association, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Midwest Energy, the New England Governors' Conference, and BC Hydro.

To learn more about the benchmark report and how to order a copy, or to schedule a workshop concerning the report, visit www.envfutures.com or contact EFI's Larry Alexander at [phone] or at [e-mail].