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Certificates of Generation Program

If you generate electricity for the California market or do business with such generators, perhaps as a retailer or wholesaler, you may be interested in the Energy Commission's Certificates of Specific Generation Program.
The program is designed for documenting "specific purchases" under the law that requires retailers to disclose their generation sources. The disclosures are made by way of "power content" labels. Retailers that claim to provide non-generic power, such as "green" power, are further required to submit annual reports to the Energy Commission identifying the specific generation facilities that have put this power on the grid.
Certificates of Specific Generation are unique documents a generator can create with free Energy Commission software called Genreport. Using the software, the generator reports its net output quarterly to the Energy Commission while at the same time creating certificates that represent the right to attribute power sold to consumers to the facility named on the certificate. The certificate contains all the information necessary for a retailer to support a claim that electricity it sold to consumers is attributable to the named plant for purposes of a power content label.
If you are a generator, especially a generator of green power, the certificates may make your plant's output more marketable. If you are a wholesaler, the certificates may make it easier for you to document that a block of power you are selling has a particular origin. And, if you are a retailer, the certificates may make it easier for you to show that claims you make about the origin of your customers' electricity are accurate.
In year 2001, Certificates of Specific Generation Program was adopted into regulation. The program is pioneering a concept that is being considered by several jurisdictions other than California. In a few years, the program could transform or expand to encompass all of the Western States Coordinating Council. Even now, generators throughout the West are eligible to be sources of specific purchases under California law and are therefore eligible to participate in the certificates program.
Now that the regulations governing the Certificates of Specific Generation Program are in place, a certificate will most likely be considered "prima facie" evidence that its holder is entitled to a specific purchase claim, but additional information will be useful if there are any questions about the validity of a certificate.
To begin participating in the Certificates of Specific Generation Program, the generator needs to download an information form from this page send it in to the Energy Commission. The Energy Commission staff will send back a full-working copy of Genreport. Only generators, not wholesalers or retailers, can use Genreport, but wholesalers and retailers can encourage generators to use the software and create certificates. If you would like to try out Genreport before committing to the program, you can download a trial version from this page that makes invalid certificates labeled "sample."
Many companies involved in the marketing of special power to consumers have encouraged the Energy Commission to go forward with certificates. Now we are hoping for good participation. If you think Certificates of Specific Generation sounds like a good idea, either download and send in the form, or alert generators you may purchase from to the existence of this program.
Download Instructions & Generator Information Form
(ADOBE ACROBAT PDF Version, 2 pages, 26 kilobytes)


Download Instructions & Generator Information Form
(Microsoft Word Version, 2 pages, 76 kilobytes)


Download TRIAL Version 1.5 of Genreport
This version Creates Sample Certificates
(Windows version only, "Zipped" files, 2.3 megabytes)


Download Version 1.3 of Genreport
This Version Does Not Create Certificates
(Windows version only, "Zipped" files, 1.5 megabytes)

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Page Updated: May 21, 2002