You can take steps to optimize the climate-, earthling-, and earth-friendliness of the electricity you purchase from your grid.
Reduce your energy consumption. Insulate and seal your conditioned spaces to reduce heating and cooling needs. Install energy-efficient lights and appliances. The less electricity—of any kind—you have to buy or make, the better.
Purchase “greener” electricity. Most electric utilities offer their customers “clean” or “green” electricity. In many jurisdictions, regulators separate the costs of generation (the electricity itself), transmission (the bigger power lines), and distribution (the smaller power lines) on your electric bill. You may be able to buy your electricity (generation) from a greener electric company. You would still pay your existing utility for transmission, distribution, and connection costs. Study the options carefully as such electricity can be green-washed. What sources are used to generate the electricity? Do your dollars go to support building new green sources, or is everyone else’s energy turning browner?
Mitigate your pollution. Consider buying renewable energy credits (RECs), which, according to the EPA, are “the property rights to the environmental, social, and other nonpower qualities of renewable electricity generation. A REC can be sold separately from the underlying physical electricity associated with a renewable-based generation source.” You pay for them in dollars, but they are denominated in megawatt-hours (MWh—1,000 kWh) of the electricity they are associated with. Legitimate RECs are independently certified by organizations such as Green-e, which is the largest independent RECs certifier.
