19 SOPEC Communities are now EPA Green Power Communities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated nineteen (19) SOPEC communities as Green Power Communities. By collectively purchasing green power, through the procurement of Green-e® Certified Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from wind power resources, the SOPEC Electric Aggregation Program has allowed SOPEC communities to lead the Appalachian Ohio region toward a renewed energy economy that supports national renewable energy development and local clean energy innovation.
Residential and small commercial electric utility (AEP Ohio) customers enrolled in the SOPEC Electric Aggregation Program used 202,355,629 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power in the previous electric supply year, from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022. This represents a 17% increase in SOPEC green power usage from the 2020-2021 supply year. SOPEC customers’ green power usage in the 2021-2022 supply year represented 32% of all the kWh used in all 19 reporting communities. Green power usage within the City of Athens and throughout the unincorporated areas of Athens County represents nearly 63% of the total SOPEC green power kWh used in the 2021-2022 supply year. The Village of Chesterhill saw the highest penetration of SOPEC green power compared to the total power consumed in the reporting period, with 53% of Chesterhill’s kWh being green power through SOPEC.
The SOPEC Electric Aggregation Program is a leading, nationally-recognized Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program that offers a default 100% renewable energy retail electric supply product to eligible electric utility customers. As SOPEC’s CCA programs continue to evolve, RECs continue to be the most cost-effective way to support national renewable energy development and the environmental benefits of green power.
SOPEC Community Green Power Stats - June 1, 2021 through May 31,2022
kWh (SOPEC Green) kWh (All) % Green (SOPEC)
Albany 3,016,085 6,902,482 44%
Amesville 606,644 1,229,311 49%
Athens 37,990,254 139,397,649 27%
Athens County 89,779,092 199,413,570 45%
Belpre* 18,436,267 53,352,230 35%
Buchtel 1,079,773 3,355,849 32%
Chauncey 1,537,124 5,543,925 28%
Chesterhill* 804,048 1,525,600 53%
Gallipolis* 15,356,089 73,917,377 21%
Glenford 540,021 999,982 54%
Jacksonville 871,655 2,551,996 34%
Logan 19,222,980 98,276,536 20%
Lowell* 1,595,353 3,266,865 49%
New Straitsville 1,250,123 3,180,040 39%
Racine 2,750,626 6,010,130 46%
Rio Grande* 1,936,780 12,363,562 16%
Shawnee 1,259,297 2,859,593 44%
Somerset 3,924,783 11,224,692 35%
Trimble 647,025 3,265,212 20%
TOTAL 202,355,629 628,636,601 32%
*New SOPEC communities added to the Green Power Communities List in the 2021-2022 supply year.
About EPA’s Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is a partnership program that helps increase green power use among U.S. organizations to advance the American market for green power and development of those sources as a way to reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with electricity use. In 2020, the Partnership had more than 700 Partners voluntarily using nearly 70 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500® companies; small and medium sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit www.epa.gov/greenpower .