Implementation Guide for Utilities: Designing Renewable Energy Products to Meet Large Energy Customer Needs

The document argues that traditional regulated utilities are well-positioned to meet the renewable energy needs of large commercial and industrial (C&I) customers through green tariffs. It highlights that successful programs have added over 900 MW of solar and wind capacity since 2013. Key success factors include executive sponsorship, continuous customer consultation, and the provision of fixed-price, cost-based energy. The guide emphasizes the need for flexibility in product design and the importance of avoiding unfair cost-shifting to other customers within the utility's service territory.

• Traditional regulated utilities are capable of meeting the renewable energy demands of commercial and industrial (C&I) customers via green tariffs, offering advantages such as lower transaction costs and greater flexibility compared to third-party options due to their experience in load aggregation and resource balancing.
• Since 2013, successful green tariff programs have contributed to the addition of more than 900 megawatts (MW) of new wind and solar projects to the electricity grid.
• The success of green tariffs depends on several critical factors: the involvement of senior utility leadership, ongoing consultation with customers during the design phase, the offering of cost-based and fixed-price energy from renewable projects, and the creation of an attractive overall package for the customer.
• To be effective, green tariff products must be flexible enough to attract a wide range of customers while ensuring that the costs are not unfairly shifted to other customers in the utility's service area.
• Implementing attractive green tariff programs can provide traditional utilities with a strategic competitive advantage.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Implementation Guide for Utilities: Designing Renewable Energy Products to Meet Large Energy Customer Needs. https://www.wri.org/research/implementation-guide-utilities-designing-renewable-energy-products-meet-large-energy

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Implementation Guide for Utilities: Designing Renewable Energy Products to Meet Large Energy Customer Needs. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/implementation-guide-utilities-designing-renewable-energy-products-meet-large-energy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Implementation Guide for Utilities: Designing Renewable Energy Products to Meet Large Energy Customer Needs |url=https://www.wri.org/research/implementation-guide-utilities-designing-renewable-energy-products-meet-large-energy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendimplementation, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Implementation Guide for Utilities: Designing Renewable Energy Products to Meet Large Energy Customer Needs}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/implementation-guide-utilities-designing-renewable-energy-products-meet-large-energy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }