EcoSmart Choice®
for Columbus, OH
The City of Columbus participates in EcoSmart Choice®, the renewable energy program from American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) that enables Columbus Division of Power customers to support renewable energy. Get started today by submitting the form below, which will be sent to the City of Columbus Division of Power.
Energy
Resources
To the maximum extent practical, renewable energy certificates (RECs) used by American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) for EcoSmart Choice® are generated within the AMP Member footprint and come from a variety of sources, such as hydroelectric, landfill gas, solar or wind facilities.
Hydropower
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. The force of the water drives a turbine which in turn powers a generator, producing electricity which can be used on-site or transported to other regions. Read more about AMP’s hydropower facilities.
Landfill Gas to Energy
Instead of escaping into the air, landfill gas can be captured, converted, and used as an energy source. Using landfill gas helps to reduce odors and other hazards associated with landfill emissions, and it helps prevent methane from migrating into the atmosphere and contributing to local smog and global climate change. Read more about AMP’s landfill gas to energy contracts.
Solar
Solar power harnesses energy from the sun and converts it into either thermal or electrical energy. Considered one of the cleanest and most renewable sources of energy, solar power technologies are characterized as either passive solar or active solar, depending on how they capture the sun’s energy. Active solar technology uses photovoltaic systems to capture the energy. Learn more about AMP’s solar power projects.
Wind
Wind power is the ability to make electricity using the air flows that occur naturally in the earth’s atmosphere. Wind turbine blades capture kinetic energy from the wind and turn it into mechanical energy, spinning a generator that creates electricity. Find out more about AMP’s wind power resources.
About
EcoSmart Choice®
EcoSmart Choice® is AMP’s green-pricing program, which allows customers of participating member electric systems to support renewable energy development. The program is available to both residential and commercial / industrial customers.
Green-pricing programs such as EcoSmart Choice® are based on the purchase and retirement of RECs. The REC is equivalent to the “greenness” of the electricity that is generated. Essentially, for each megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity that is generated from renewable resources, one REC is created. Each REC that is purchased and used by the electric utility for the green-pricing program can match one MWh of traditional (non-renewable) electric generation with one MWh of renewable electricity. Once RECs are used for this purpose, they are essentially retired. The buying and selling of RECs through green pricing programs such as EcoSmart Choice® enables electric utilities to deliver the benefits of renewable energy to more customers, regardless of their power supply mix.
To the maximum extent practical, RECs used by AMP for EcoSmart Choice® are generated within the AMP Member footprint and come from a variety of sources, such as hydroelectric, landfill gas, solar or wind facilities.