SPRINGFIELD, Ore., – October 1, 2007 – The Springfield Utility Board’s announced that today it would begin offering customers the option of purchasing green power through a new program called ECOchoice.

Green power is electricity generated from renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biofuel, or tidal power. Generally a bit more expensive than traditional power, green power sources provides 100 percent sustainable, environmentally-friendly energy. By purchasing green power from SUB, customers are guaranteed that the power they purchase from ECOchoice is non-polluting, renewable energy from wind and biomass sources.

ECOchoice offers residential and commercial customers a convenient means of buying green power in the form of green tags. Green tags are renewable energy certificates that guarantee a set amount of clean energy will go onto the regional power grid on the buyer's behalf. Green tags have the same effect as buying green power directly from the source, like a wind farm, and represent the real savings in carbon dioxide and other pollutants that occur when green power replaces the burning of fossil fuels.

With ECOchoice, customers can purchase as many as a few green tags as they wish. Each green tag costs $1 and represents 100 kWh of power; this cost is in addition to the customer’s standard monthly electricity charges. For example, in Springfield, the average home uses about 1,400 kWh a month, so a customer choosing to use 100 percent green power could choose to purchase 14 green tags and would see a $14 charge added to his or her monthly bill.

“When we began discussing the ECOchoice program, one of our central goals was to give customers a green power option at a fair and reasonable price, and I think we have accomplished that,” said Jeff Nelson, SUB Director of Resource Management.

If you have questions or would like more information on our green power program, call SUB’s Resource Management department at 744-3772. To enroll call 746-8451.