You have questions, we have answers

Green Future makes it easy to match some or all of your home’s electricity use with renewable resources like wind and solar. You choose the level that’s right for you, and PGE purchases renewable energy sourced from Oregon and other Western states on your behalf. The cost is added to your monthly bill, so there are no separate payment statements. Your participation reduces your environmental impact and supports renewable energy projects right here in our local communities!

No, renewable energy is not coming directly to your home. Once any type of energy is produced and added to the electric grid, it’s not possible to tell what source it came from. But, when you participate in Green Future, PGE purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) on your behalf. These RECs represent the environmental benefit of one megawatt-hour of renewable energy being delivered to the electric grid. Adding more renewable energy to the grid reduces the need for non-renewable types of energy, which means your participation makes a positive difference for the environment.

The cost depends on the option you choose, and the price starts at $1.88 per month. The most popular option is to match 100% of your home’s electricity use with local and regional renewable energy. The typical residential customer uses around 795 kilowatt-hours and they would pay about $7 per month on average to match 100%. You also have the option to match a portion of your energy use for a fixed monthly price. Use our tool to find the option that’s right for you.

Your Green Future participation supports:

• Renewable energy: PGE purchases Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) on your behalf from facilities in Oregon and other Western states. The amount of RECs that PGE purchases depends on the participation level you select.
• Community grants: Green Future participants support the Renewable Development Fund, which provides grants to local organizations to build renewable energy projects.
• Outreach, education, and administration: Your participation enables us to keep offering this option to Oregonians throughout the state.

PGE does not make a profit from the Green Future program. For participants who add Habitat Support to their enrollment, $2.50 per month goes directly to The Nature Conservancy to restore local fish habitat.

Learn more about the impact that Green Future participants are making.

A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is created every time one megawatt-hour of renewable energy is generated and added to the electric grid, and it represents the environmental benefits of this energy. Learn more about how RECs work in this video from the Center for Resource Solutions.