Information about Clean Energy

NESEA Network

Green Buildings Open House

Building Energy Conference

Sustainability Series Workshops

Clean Energy Posters

Clean Energy Links

Recommended Books

Where Does Your Electricity Come From?

Generally speaking, all of the electricity in the Northeast is organized and distributed in three different pools. One pool serves New England, one New York, and one serves most of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Choosing a green power provider means that your pool's electricity will be that much more "greener" than if you hadn't chosen a green power provider, in much the same way that adding clean water to muddy water makes the muddy water a little clearer.

At the end of the day, the quality of the air you breath and the wastes and pollution added to our environment are determined by the pool of electicity at large. Keep in mind that just because you don't live near a power plant doesn't mean that your electricity isn't coming from a power plant you might not approve of. One of the characteristics of electricity is that it can be generated far from the point where it is to be used, and transmitted to distant points. For this reason, you might be getting electricity from a dirty coal plant, even if that coal plant is two states over.

To learn about nuclear power plants operating in your area, go to http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/states.html.