FirstEnergy is saying: “Switch-2-Green-4-Free.” That’s both the name of a renewable-energy credit purchasing plan it is rolling out for residential customers, and how the program works.
Supplying power from renewable rather than traditional energy can be expensive. So, there are “R.E.C.'s”—Renewable Energy Credits. Customers can pay a premium on their electric bills to cover the incremental difference, creating credits to be used by the utility to buy power from sustainable sources.
To show commitment to greener power, FirstEnergy is offering some R.E.C.’s at no extra charge. According to company spokesman Aaron Reugg, “the renewable energy that you buy through this program will be added to the power grid, and therefor displace power that would have otherwise been produced from traditional generating sources.”
For the first one-thousand subscribers who sign up, FirstEnergy will buy renewable energy without billing them for the R.E.C. premium.
FirstEnergy is offering the incentive despite its opposition in the past to alternative energy development efforts in Ohio. Aaron Ruegg says it part of larger company story. “The campaign is designed to bring some attention to our belief in a cleaner energy future, and a shift in our long-term strategy to insure that we deliver not only safe and reliable electricity, but also clean and affordable electricity.”
Details of the program are available on First Energy’s website.
