Press Release

PUC Unveils Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Website

Published on 4/1/2008

Filed under: Electric

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announces the development of a Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Program website as part of an ongoing effort to implement and enforce requirements outlined in the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act of 2004.

“This is another implementation step to make information about AEPS available to the public in a user-friendly manner,” said PUC Chairman Wendell F. Holland.  “The creation of this website furthers our efforts by making vital information on alternative energy more accessible.  The information is now just a click away for companies, consumers and customer generators.”

The AEPS Act requires that a certain percentage of all electric energy sold to retail customers within the Commonwealth be derived from alternative energy sources.  The Act applies to both electric distribution companies and electric generation suppliers, who must demonstrate their compliance on an annual basis.  However, compliance with the portfolio standards is deferred until an electric distribution company’s generation rate caps expire.  Pennsylvania’s customer-generators are now being compensated for the excess electricity they produce and export onto the electric distribution grid. 

The AEPS website is managed by Clean Power Markets, a Comverge Company, which is an entity chosen by the PUC to act as a third-party administrator of the AEPS.  The website offers users the following services:

• Provides a portal for the application and registration of alternative energy facilities that qualify for the AEPS program;
• Assists in the management of Alternative Energy Credits (AEC) produced by small customer-owned generators and energy efficiency measures;
• Facilitates the trade of AECs from alternative energy sources and energy efficiency measures through a regional bulletin board;
• Acts as an aggregator for small customer generators to facilitate the creation of alternative energy credits from these small customer-owned generation sources; and
• Supports alternative energy sources with registration in PJM’s Generation Attribute Tracking System (GATS).

In January 2007, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LB&FC) released its Performance Audit on the Commission and found the PUC is making “good progress” in implementing the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act. 

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities to ensure safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protect the public interest; educate consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; further economic development; and foster new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

For recent news releases, audio of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our Web site at www.puc.state.pa.us.

Contact:

• Denise McCracken
  Senior Communications Specialist
  717-787-5722
  demccracken@pa.gov