Montgomery County - Clean Energy Rewards Program

Summary

Note: Due to high demand, all available funds have for this program have already been allocated. It is possible that new program participants will be able to receive awards if additional funding becomes available. The Montgomery County Clean Energy Rewards program provides incentives to Montgomery County residents, businesses, non-profits, and congregations for purchasing clean energy through certified suppliers. Customers receive a credit of 0.5 cents per kWh ($0.005/kWh)* of clean energy used. The credit applies to purchases of up to 20,000 kWh per year for residential customers and 400,000 kWh per year for non-residential customers. In order to be eligible for a reward, participants must make a minimum clean energy purchase commitment of at least 50% of their annual electricity use. The incentives are distributed by suppliers and will appear as a credit on consumer’s monthly bills. The County's Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the program, estimates that this credit should offset a significant portion of the incremental cost of clean energy. The exact level of savings depends on the relative costs of green energy products compared to standard utility price offerings. A list of participating suppliers and descriptions of eligible products are available on the program’s website. The only electricity supplier providing Clean Energy Rewards eligible products is Washington Gas Energy Services. Consumers interested in the program may also purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs). The REC marketers providing eligible REC products are Clean Currents, Sterling Planet, and WindCurrent. All suppliers and products marketed through the program are certified by DEP. Clean energy products must be generated within the U.S., tracked in a regional RTO or ISO system such as PJM GATS, WREGIS, M-RETS, etc., and composed of solar, wind, methane gas, and/or sustainable biomass. A total of $561,000 is available for rewards through 2009. Consumers can learn more about the program through the website listed above. Consumers generating electricity on their property using photovoltaics (PV) can also receive rewards from Montgomery County. Click here for more information on rewards for on-site renewable energy generation. *County Resolution 16-737 enacted in October 2008 reduced the incentive level to $0.005/kWh for all customers from the prior levels of $0.01/kWh for residential customers and from $0.015/kWh for non-residential customers. The resolution also increased the maximum non-residential purchase from 100,000 kWh to 400,000 kWh.