Frequently Asked Questions - Green Energy Champion (GEC) Program
1. What is renewable energy, or green power?
It is electricity generated from natural sources such as wind, sun, and methane gas released from decaying garbage in landfills. Because green power comes from sources that never run out, like the wind and the sun, renewable energy is limitless. Green power is also clean. Unlike electricity production from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, it does not add pollution to the atmosphere.
2. What kind of resources does BWP consider green?
The following resources may be purchased to replace your fossil fuel generated power:
- Wind Power with proper protection for birds and bats
- Solar Power
- Small Hydroelectric power with no damage to the stream or wildlife.
- Landfill Gas Turbine power
- Geothermal Power
- Waste to Energy, steam turbines heated with green waste or other biomaterials.
3. How will I benefit by participating in the Green Energy Champion program?
By joining the program you will make a long-lasting contribution to help preserve and enhance Burbank’s quality of life. Our reliance on fossil fuels will decrease along with air pollution created by fossil fuel combustion. By purchasing environmentally sound green power for you, we can help reduce the release of greenhouse gases leading to global warming.
4. How much will it cost me to participate in the program?
This table provides an estimate for some average customer types:
GREEN ENERGY CHAMPION ESTIMATED MONTHLY COSTS | |||
Type of Customer | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
Resident with Average Usage of 500 kWh | $1.50 | $3.75 | $6.00 |
Resident with a Large Home at 2000 kWh | $6.00 | $15.00 | $24.00 |
Mom & Pop Store | $1.50 | $3.75 | $6.00 |
Donut Shop | $6.00 | $15.00 | $24.00 |
Fast Food Restaurant | $15.00 | $37.50 | $60.00 |
Gas Station | $20.00 | $50.00 | $80.00 |
Larger Offices and Retail Stores | $100.00 | $250.00 | $400.00 |
Big Box & Department Stores | $225.00 | $650.00 | $1,050.00 |
To calculate an exact cost based on your previous usage, use this method:
Start with your electric rate (available from our customer service hotline or from a previous bill) and the level of support you’d like (Bronze, Silver, Gold). Then use the matrix below to determine the percent of your power usage that will be displaced with green energy. Then multiply that amount by the incremental cost of green energy, which is two cents per kWh.
Example calculation: If a business is metered at our Commercial Three Phase rate (Rate code ECM3) with a –D electric meter with an average peak demand below 150 kW and they want to participate in GEC at the Silver Level, using the matrix below:
Rate Classification | |||
Residential – Any service where the rate is residential, including Lifeline. | |||
Small Commercial – Any business that does not have a –D meter (under 20 kW peak) | |||
Medium Commercial – Business with a –D meter and peak demand averaging below 150 kW | |||
Industrial – Business with a –D meter averaging over 150 kW, or a –V meter at any peak | |||
Contract – NBC, Warner Bros and Providence St. Joseph Hospital only (refer to J. Joyce) | |||
GREEN ENERGY CHAMPION | |||
Rate Classification | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
Residential | 15% | 37.5% | 60% |
Small Commercial | 15% | 37.5% | 60% |
Medium Commercial | 10% | 25% | 40% |
Industrial | 6% | 15% | 24% |
Contract | 3% | 7.5% | 12% |
This example customer falls in the “Medium Commercial” rate classification category and Silver participation is the middle column of the matrix at 25%. So if the monthly usage is 19,543 kWh, participation at the Silver level would cost:
19,543 kWhs * 25% * .02/kWh = $97.72
This customer would see a line on the bill that reads:
Green Energy Champion – Silver Level $97.72
5. What does Burbank do with the money raised with the Green Energy Champion program?
All the funds will be used to purchase green energy, either from outside sources that can deliver green power to the City of Burbank, or to build green resources within the City itself.
6. Why did BWP change the Clean Green Support (CGS) program?
To explain, it probably best to explore the differences:
- GEC is open to Burbank’s residents and businesses . CGS was only open to residents.
- GEC Offers Bronze, Silver and Gold commitment levels to choose from. Each level provides for a specific percent of your electric usage that will be green. You choose the amount that works best for you. CGS was a flat rate and not based on your usage.
- The cost to participate is 2 cents per green kilowatt-hour of energy signed up for. That’s BWP’s cost to purchase green energy on your behalf, so you get exactly what you pay for. CGS did not reward those customers that use a smaller amount of energy since all residences were charged either a $3 or $5 flat rate.
- The best part: GEC guarantees that BWP will purchase renewable energy for our City! The CGS program purchased Green Tickets, which are certificates that represent the environmental value of renewable energy. We believe that Burbank customers will prefer having actual green energy purchased for, or created inside, our city.
7. How do I sign up to be a Green Energy Champion?
There are three ways to start participating:
- For those that were a participant in the original Clean Green Support program you don’t need to do anything! As soon as we are ready to begin the program (March or April 2007 bill) all former $3 Clean Green Support participants will be switched to the Bronze Green Energy Champion level. All former $5 per month Clean Green Support participants will be placed on the Silver level. Of course any participant can change their level of participation or opt out of the program entirely at any time.
- You have the option of calling our Customer Support Center to sign up, change your level or stop your participation in the program altogether. Our number is 818-238-3700 and operators are standing by Monday to Friday 7:30 AM to 5 PM.
- You can also visit BurbankWaterandPower.com for more information on Green Energy Champion and find an on-line form to sign up or change your level of support.
8. What does green energy cost?
The average cost for BWP to deliver a kWh of electricity (the commonly measured unit) is currently about 14 cents. By paying two cents more per kWh, the utility can instead deliver that same amount of power from non-polluting green resources.
9. What is Burbank Water and Power’s current energy mix?
The numbers change from time to time due to economic conditions, new power contracts replacing old, and purchases from the spot market. In 2003, the Burbank City Council approved BWP's recommendation for a Renewable Portfolio Standard. The Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS, is a document that formally states the utility's goal to increase the level of electricity we procure from renewable resources to 20% of our total energy portfolio by the year 2017.
BURBANK’S 2007 ENERGY PORTFOLIO
Resource Type | Percent of Energy Mix |
Renewable | 1% |
Wind | <1% |
Geothermal | <1% |
Biomass & Waste | <1% |
Landfill | <1% |
Solar | <1% |
Micro-hydroelectric | <1% |
Coal | 42% |
Natural Gas | 31% |
Large Hydroelectric | 2% |
Nuclear | 5% |
Other | 18* |
Total Energy Portfolio | 100% |
10. If I sign up to be a Green Energy Champion, will my home or business receive electricity generated from renewable energy?
When you subscribe to Green Energy Champion, Burbank Water and Power contracts for green power to meet a percentage of your annual electrical needs depending on the level of support you choose. That amount of green power then is delivered to our electric system daily. This means less electricity is produced daily from power plants using natural gas or coal.
The green power is delivered to Burbank over the statewide transmission system. Once it enters our local electric system, it mixes with power from BWP’s generating plants and other sources.
This means the actual electricity generated from ‘green’ sources cannot be directed to a specific home or business. But as more customers subscribe to Green Energy Champion, the amount of green power in Burbank’s daily power mix gets larger and larger.
11. Why are you asking me to choose to opt-in or opt-out for recognition of my participation in the program?
BWP wants to give credit to our Green Energy Champions so others get excited about helping to clear the air and lower green house gas emissions. Businesses in particular know their customers have a choice in where to take their business, and therefore they want to get the word out that they too are green.
BWP plans to take out advertisements occasionally that will list our Green Energy Champions, both residential and businesses. Businesses will also get a document that can be displayed in order to demonstrate their level of support.
Read about BWP's Green Energy Champion Program