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Title: Emerging Markets for Renewable Energy Certificates: Opportunities and Challenges

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/15011466· OSTI ID:15011466

Renewable energy certificates (RECs) represent the attributes of electricity generated from renewable energy sources. These attributes are unbundled from the physical electricity, and the two products-the attributes embodied in the certificates and the commodity electricity-may be sold or traded separately. RECs are quickly becoming the currency of renewable energy markets because of their flexibility and the fact that they are not subject to the geographic and physical limitations of commodity electricity. RECs are currently used by utilities and marketers to supply renewable energy products to end-use customers as well as to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements, such as renewable energy mandates. The purpose of this report is to describe and analyze the emerging market for renewable energy certificates. It describes how RECs are marketed, examines RECs markets including scope and prices, and identifies and describes the key challenges facing the growth and success of RECs markets.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-99-GO10337
OSTI ID:
15011466
Report Number(s):
NREL/TP-620-37388; TRN: US200507%%239
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Jan 2005; Related Information: Update to original posted version 3/7/05.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English