October 17, 2005

Environmental Advocates of New York Launches Power Scorecard
Partnership with Pace Law School Energy Project to educate public about electricity choices and pollution impacts

(Albany, NY) — Environmental Advocates of New York (EANY) has teamed up with Pace Law School Energy Project to launch www.powerscorecard.org, an interactive website to educate New Yorkers about their electricity options and the environmental impacts of each option.

“The Power Scorecard is designed to help New Yorkers understand that they can choose their electricity providers, and that each choice has different environmental consequences, “ said Fred Zalcman, Executive Director of the Pace Law School Energy Project. “The Power Scorecard equips consumers to use the power of retail choice to buy electricity that matches up with their environmental values.”

“When consumers learn about the price of each choice on their pocketbook and the environment, many will act to choose clean, renewable energy,” stated Anne Reynolds of Environmental Advocates of New York. “By building this green market, we can start to control the pollution from power plants that causes global warming, acid rain, and smog,” she continued.

With the public spotlight on energy problems, New York consumers need to know they can choose their electricity supplier. With deregulation of the electricity sector starting in 1996, utilities sold power plants to private companies, but retained ownership of the transmission and distribution system. Consumers are now allowed to choose their power provider, although many have just remained with the power provided by the utility.

The Power Scorecard rates how the electricity choices compare in terms of two criteria: (1) pollution impacts and (2) the commitment in each product to new renewable energy supply sources.

By visiting www.powerscorecard.org, consumers can input their state and electric utility and quickly compare providers available in their service area. In most areas of New York consumers can choose among a variety of service options that offer cleaner and greener electricity service:

• In the National Grid (Niagara Mohawk) Service area, there are twenty electricity choices about half of which offer clean, renewable power. Native Energy’s Windbuilder product is the highest rated, and costs one cent more per kilowatt-hour than the utility’s service.
• For Con Edison customers, there are fifteen choices. Community Energy’s 100% Wind and Native Energy’s Windbuilder products are the best rated for renewable content and pollution impacts.
• For Rochester Gas and Electric consumers, there are fourteen choices. One choice, ConEd Solutions GREEN Power, has a better rating for renewable content than the utility service, and is also cheaper — offered at 3.7 cents less per kilowatt-hour.

Environmental Advocates encourages New Yorkers to visit www.powerscorecard.org to learn about the electricity they use and the electricity choices they have.

Six national environmental organizations developed the Power Scorecard to help consumers nationwide evaluate their electricity choices. The sponsors, Environmental Defense, the Izaak Walton League, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Northwest Energy Coalition, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Pace Energy Project, manage the Power Scorecard and work with local sponsors, in New York Environmental Advocates of NY, to present local market information to consumers. The Power Scorecard also rates the environmental quality of electricity choices for consumers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.