How Does the CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE^SM program Certification Work and How Do Consumers Benefit?
Any renewable electricity supplier doing business in Massachusetts can apply to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for certification of its offerings as tax deductible under the CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE^SM program. To be eligible for certification, suppliers must:

• Get at least 25 percent of the electricity sold from renewable energy sources that qualify under the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave, tidal, landfill gas, and “low emission” bioenergy) and that come from new facilities as defined under this standard (i.e., began operating after December 31, 1997).
  
• Meet theCLEAN ENERGY CHOICE^SM program’s high consumer protection standards for information disclosure, accounting, reporting, and pricing.

How Are Consumers Protected?
In addition to benefiting from our screening of electricity suppliers, if you select a tax-deductible CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE^SM program, you’ll be assured that your contribution supports the goals of this program.

Specifically, MTC will provide the following additional protections:

• Your contributions will be placed into a special account and won’t be released until the electricity supplier delivers the renewable energy certificates that you are purchasing.

• Our record keeper will ensure that your energy supplier delivers the correct number and type of certificates in a timely manner.

• If the electricity supplier does not deliver the promised certificates, we will use the money in the special account to ensure that the proper number of certificates gets purchased.

• We will screen for accuracy the information that your energy supplier provides you about the CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE^SM program.

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative receives no financial benefit from any of the transactions or from consumers’ voluntary payments. The entire clean power premium you pay goes to the renewable electricity supplier you select. In addition, we are paying for the cost of administering the CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE^SM program, including the cost of recordkeeping, as part of our mission to administer the Renewable Energy Trust fund. This fund was created in 1997 by the Massachusetts legislature as an essential component of a restructured electric utility industry and to promote renewable energy development.

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