How Green Powered works

Your support, combined with the support of our 10,000+ green electricity participants in MA & RI, increases demand for renewable energy on the New England power grid, funds new sources of renewable power, and reduces our need to burn fossil fuels for electricity.

How it works

How Green Powered works for you depends on where you live. There are 3 distinct options. When you sign up, we’ll help you choose the right option.

All 3 Green Powered options have one thing in common: they add a specific amount of renewable energy to the power grid on your behalf. This pushes off fossil fuels and shows demand for more renewable energy.

See how it works for each utility or community.

Do you have a Community Choice Electricity program?

Scroll to community lists

  • Click here to choose your community & be directed to its special sign up form on its website.
  • You will still receive your electric bill from and pay your utility. Your community’s electricity supplier will appear in the supply section of your bill.
  • The price will include the cost for both electrons and Renewable Energy Certificates. Because we are the non-profit supplier of the RECs, the amount you pay for RECs is federally tax-deductible as a charitable contribution, so we'll send you a receipt in January each year.
  • You can un-enroll by contacting your community's program at any time. Get started. 

    Learn more about community choice electricity, or "Green Municipal Aggregation."

National Grid Massachusetts & Rhode Island Energy customers

Green Powered 25% or 100%, also known as "GreenUp"

  • Sign up via our enrollment form. You'll need your electric account number found on your bill.
  • Once you’re successfully enrolled, Green Powered will appear in as a “GreenUp” section of your bill, as an additional charge on top of your regular electricity bill charges. It typically takes 1-2 months for the GreenUp section to appear on your bill.
  • You pay your electric bill as normal. Because we are the non-profit supplier of Renewable Energy Certificates, the amount we charge you each month is federally tax-deductible as a charitable contribution, so we'll send you a receipt in January.

Any other utility or community

Green Powered Subscription

  • Choose to support a set amount of renewable energy each month.
  • Subscribe with the payment method of your choice. Every month, we will bill you the same amount and support and equivalent amount of renewable energy. 
    Choose from:

    $32.40 per monthSupports 600 kilowatt-hours of green power each month, enough to cover the average household's monthly electricity use.
    $16.20 per monthSupports 300 kilowatt-hours of green power each month, enough to cover half of the average household's monthly electricity use.
    Custom ($5.40 per 100kWh block)Choose your own amount of monthly green power in $5 blocks of 100 kilowatt-hours each. Calculate your average usage here!

How much does it cost

 

Green Powered 100%Green Powered 25%Green Powered Subscription
Mix100% wind power from New England wind turbines (MA Class 1 & RI "new")25% New England wind, solar, low-impact hydro, and anaerobic digestion (MA Class 1 & RI "new")New England wind, solar, low-impact hydro, and anaerobic digestor gas (MA Class 1 or RI "new")
RateYou pay 5 cents/kWh you use with each electric bill (in addition to your normal electricity charges)You pay 2.2 cents/kWh you use with each electric bill (in addition to your normal electricity charges)You choose what you pay each month, and support a set amount of renewable energy. Subscription options are here.
Tax benefitSince your payments for Green Powered go toward a public good, they are 100% federally tax-deductible as charitable contributions. We'll send you a receipt each January.

Where does the energy come from

We are committed to purchasing only New England renewable energy from sources that meet high environmental standards. We purchase from wind, solar (not sited on green space), low-impact hydro (here’s what that means), and anaerobic digester projects. Here are the current and planned sources of green energy in Green Powered.

Map of current resources
Resources that have recently been, are in, or are contracted with Green Energy Consumers.

What makes it different

We are a renewable energy certificate supplier for the public good. We do not supply electrons, as competitive electricity suppliers do. We are not a competitive electricity supplier, but we are often confused with them. Here’s what makes us different.

Competitive suppliers purchase electrons on your behalf and often promise savings compared to what the utility supplies, but these savings do not last. Many competitive suppliers have been known to “greenwash”, which is to market a product claiming it’s great for the environment when it’s not. When you buy green electricity, you want your purchase to add renewable energy to the grid over time.

Power poolBut unless you buy Class I/new renewable energy, it doesn't - instead, you are just buying renewable energy to line someone's pockets. Sadly, most "green" competitive electricity suppliers offer zero additional Class I/new renewable energy beyond what is required by MA & RI law.

We’re careful to only supply Class I/new renewable energy through Green Powered. Because of this, over the years our members have made new renewable energy projects happen. That's what makes us different, and a true climate solution.

Learn more about our impact compared to bogus green competitive suppliers.

Do you have a Community Choice Electricity program?

NameRenewable electricity (added by default)Supplier (what you'll see on your electric bill)Website
Amesbury, MA5%Colonialcolonialpowergroup.com/amesbury/
Andover, MA15%Good Energyacp.andoverma.gov
Arlington, MA76%Good Energyarlingtoncca.com
Barrington, RI5%NextErabarringtoncommunityelectricity.com
Bedford, MA76%Good Energybedfordcca.com
Belchertown, MA10%Good Energybelchertownenergychoice.com
Boxford, MA10%Good Energyboxfordelectricity.com
Brookline, MA76%Good Energybrooklinegreen.com
Central Falls, RI5%NextEracentralfallscommunityelectricity.com
Cohasset, MA10%Good Energyelectricity.cohassetma.org
Dedham, MA10%Good Energymasscea.com/dedham
Fairhaven, MA10%Good Energymasscea.com/fairhaven
Framingham, MA8%Peregrinemasspowerchoice.com/framingham
Gloucester, MA15%Good Energygloucester-cea.com
Hamilton, MA5%Good Energyhamiltoncca.com
Hanson, MA10%Good Energyhansoncommunitypower.com
Malden, MA10%Good Energymaldencommunityelectricity.com
Marshfield, MA10%Good Energymarshfield-ma.gov
Medfield, MA10%Good Energyelectricity.medfield.net
Medford, MA10%Good Energymedfordcea.com
Melrose, MA10%Good Energymcp.cityofmelrose.org
Milford, MA10%Good Energymilfordcommunityelectricity.com
Millis, MA5%Good Energyhttps://empower.millisma.gov/
Milton, MA10%Good Energymiltoncea.com
Narragansett, RI5%NextEranarragansettcommunitychoiceelectricity.com
Needham, RI15%Peregrineasspowerchoice.com/needham
Newport, RI5%NextEranewportcommunityelectricity.com
Portsmouth, RI5%NextEraelectricity.portsmouthri.com
Providence, RI5%NextEraelectricity.providenceri.gov
Quincy, MA10%Good Energyquincycea.com
Rockland, MA10%Good Energyrockland-cea.com
Scituate, MA10%Good Energyelectricity.scituatema.gov
Somerville, MA20%Direct Energysomervillecce.com
South Kingstown, RI5%NextEraelectricity.southkingstownri.com
Stockbridge, MA5%Colonialcolonialpowergroup.com/Stockbridge/
Stoneham, MA5%Good Energystonehamcea.com
Townsend, MA10%Good Energytownsendcommunityelectricity.com
Waltham, MA10%Good Energywaltham-cea.com
Westford, MA10%Good Energymasscea.com/westford
Westwood, MA10%Good Energytownhall.westwood.ma.us
Winchester, MA20%Good Energywinpowerma.com

Winthrop, MA

10%

Good Energy

winthropcommunityelectricity.com