Dive Brief:

• The Federal Trade Commission has declined to open an investigation into how Green Mountain Power markets its renewable power, but regulators cautioned the utility it must be above-board in its communications.
• Last year, environmental advocates alleged the utility was double-selling renewable energy credits, boasting to customers about greener power while selling credits for that power outside Vermont.
• The utility argued it was upfront with customers and that renewable power was still reducing bills by as much as 5%.

Dive Insight:

Green Mountain Power will not face an FTC investigation, and The Boston Globe reports that regulatory staff sent a letter to the utility indicating the agency expects improvements.

“Although no findings have been made that these claims violate the law, we urge GMP in the future to prevent any confusion by clearly communicating the implications of its REC sales for Vermont customers and REC purchasers,’’ the letter said.

Environmental advocates from the Vermont Law School complained last year, arguing the utility was first applying RECs from wind and solar projects it owns to meet the goals of Vermont's 2005 renewable energy law and then selling the RECs to other New England utilities. 

Green Mountain Power replied that it sells some of the RECs to other utilities but said it is transparent about where they are applied and, even when the RECs are sold, the use of renewables reduces customer rates as much as 5%.