February Member Brief: Are Customers of Community Solar Programs Actually Buying

Renewable energy credits (RECs) are the virtual account mechanism to ensure that renewable electricity is tracked and managed properly for federal or state policies, as well as consumer programs like community solar and green pricing. A potential legal challenge to the way renewable energy certificates are being allocated for a community solar program brings up the broader picture of how RECs are managed in them more generally. This brief examines the intersection of community solar and RECs, and focuses attention on the need for thoughtful design in defining what consumers are buying.