RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAMS

Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund

What is the Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund? The Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund was developed by Consumers Energy to make it possible for all cooperative members and non-members to support renewable energy and help protect the environment.
How will the renewable energy be produced? Renewable Energy funds will be used to support member- or cooperative-owned small-scale renewable generation in Consumers Energy’s electric service territory.
How do I participate? You may participate by supporting at least one 100 kilowatt-hour (kWh) block of renewable energy per month. Each member and non-member can support up to a maximum of 40 blocks per month. To receive a participation form, contact our office at (800) 696-6552, e-mail us at info@consumersenergy.coop or download a form from the Internet at www.consumersenergy.coop. You will receive a certificate of participation after joining the Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund and you’ll be mentioned in the monthly cooperative newsletter as a supporter of this program.
How much will the renewable energy cost? Each block of 100 kilowatt-hours will cost $2.00 per month. For cooperative members, this will be added to your monthly energy bills.* Non-members may set up an automatic clearinghouse (ACH) process for payments as long as they are supporting at least 500 kilowatt-hours (5 blocks) at a monthly amount of $10.00.
How will the eligible renewable generators get paid? Funds from the Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund will be used to pay local renewable energy generators an additional 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for the excess energy sold back to the wholesale power market. All proceeds from the program will be retained until utilized. The cooperative shall have the discretion to increase the 1.5-cent payout in the event the retained proceeds become excessive. Consumers Energy has established a separate account to deposit and account for the contributions and withdrawals.
Why does renewable energy need to be subsidized? Subsidies are needed because the initial investment required to build renewable generation facilities is considerable. Operating costs are relatively low, but the high initial investment makes renewable energy generation more expensive than comparable forms of energy at this time.
Will my electricity costs increase if I do not participate? This project will have no impact on the costs of electricity sold to members of Consumers Energy. This fund allows people to voluntarily support renewable energy developments within our electric service territory.
How will you decide which renewable generators get paid each month? Renewable generators will be paid based on which agreements were signed first with wholesale power suppliers. Consumers Energy will not charge administration fees for the fund.
I’ve heard that Consumers Energy is building a miniature wind farm at its new headquarters. Will this fund be used to support that project? Even though the cooperative’s turbines will be grid-connected, it is not our intent to use these funds for that project. Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund will be used for small renewable energy projects with a design capacity of 100 kilowatts or less that are connected to Consumers Energy’s electric distribution system.
How will I know if my contribution is getting paid to the renewable energy generator? Our monthly newsletter will contain periodic statements showing contributions, amounts paid to renewable energy generators and other information about the Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund.
What will you do with excess proceeds from this fund? Consumers Energy’s Board of Directors will be responsible for disbursing all excess proceeds from this fund. The cooperative will retain all proceeds contributed by participants in a segregated account. At the point in time the Board of Directors deems the balance in the account to be excessive, the Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund may be redesigned so that higher contributions can be paid to renewable energy generators in our area.
What if I want to cancel my participation? You may cancel your participation in the Neighbors Helping Neighbors - Renewable Energy Fund at any time by simply notifying Consumers Energy.
Where can I get additional information?
Contact an Account Representative at:
Consumers Energy
PO Box 1058
Marshalltown, IA 50158
E-mail: info@consumersenergy.coop
Website: www.consumersenergy.coop
Phone: (641) 752-1593 or (800) 696-6552

To Apply:

To participate, click here. To apply for funds, click here.

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