What are Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)?

A REC is a market instrument that gives its holder the exclusive right to claim the environmental benefit of one megawatt-hour of renewable energy generation. Once retired, no other party can claim that same MWh, even if they host the generation facility on-site.

What makes Ever.green's High-Impact RECs different?

Ever.green’s RECs are designed to have a meaningful impact by ensuring:

‍Additionality: The RECs support new or repowered projects where revenue from REC sales is material to project viability.
‍Measurable Impact: Projects are scored against Ever.green’s Impact Scorecard, ensuring they meet high standards for climate impact, environmental protections, and community benefits.

High-Impact RECs are a unique type of REC that directly supports new renewable energy projects for which the revenue from REC contracts makes a material impact on the financial viability of the project. These RECs go beyond traditional spot-market procurement by providing a long-term, committed revenue stream to yet-built projects that contribute to grid decarbonization and clean energy expansion.

Do High-Impact RECs count toward Scope 2 compliance?

Yes. High-Impact RECs satisfy Scope 2 market-based accounting under the GHG Protocol. Every High-Impact REC purchase comes with a documented additionality assessment, Green-e certification, and hourly production data tied to the specific project it funds.

How do High-Impact RECs mitigate Scope 2 emissions?

Each REC represents one megawatt-hour of renewable energy your company can claim against its electricity use. High-Impact RECs go further by directly funding new or repowered projects, so your purchase is tied to clean energy that wouldn't exist otherwise, not just energy that already exists somewhere on the grid.

How do High-Impact RECs compare to PPAs and VPPAs?

PPAs and VPPAs are long-term contracts, typically 15 to 20 years, but they usually require a large electricity load of close to 50,000 or 100,000 MWh or more, strong creditworthiness, and the ability to manage energy price risk. High-Impact RECs are built to achieve similar additionality and impact without burdensome requirements: a lower minimum commitment, a fixed price, and a simpler contract, which makes them a practical fit for companies that don't have the scale, risk appetite, or internal resources a PPA demands.
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For an overview of PPAs, VPPAs, High-Impact RECs, spot-market RECs, and onsite solar, see our procurement options comparison.

Can I combine RECs with other renewables in my Scope 2 strategy?

Yes, REC procurement can be used alongside onsite solar, PPAs, and other clean energy initiatives to create a comprehensive renewable energy portfolio. High-Impact RECs can complement an existing renewable energy strategy by filling gaps, supporting incremental progress, and enabling further decarbonization efforts. 

How do High-Impact RECs align with corporate sustainability goals?

High-Impact RECs align with corporate sustainability strategies by demonstrating a direct contribution to the clean energy transition. High-Impact RECs are tied to specific projects, giving your team something concrete to show customers, investors, and employees who ask what your sustainability commitments actually fund, beyond the certificate itself.

RECs directly address Scope 2 emissions. Under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s market-based accounting rules, an organization purchasing RECs equivalent to its electricity consumption can reduce Scope 2 emissions for that period. 

How do High-Impact RECs align with RE100, CDP, SBTi, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol?

High-Impact RECs meet the market-based accounting method under the GHG Protocol's Scope 2 Guidance and satisfy the purchase criteria RE100, CDP, and SBTi require for renewable energy claims. Because additionality is documented for every project, they also go beyond the minimum bar these frameworks currently set.

With the GHG Protocol's Scope 2 guidelines changing, will High-Impact RECs remain compliant?

The GHG Protocol is revising its Scope 2 Guidance for the first time since 2015. The first public consultation window closed January 31, 2026, and a second consultation covering additional topics is expected later in 2026. The GHG Protocol has stated it aims to finalize the new standard by the end of 2027, with companies potentially required to apply it starting with 2028 emissions, reported in 2029.

Nothing is finalized yet, so we can't guarantee how every detail lands. What we can tell you: the draft direction puts more weight on new projects and on matching clean energy claims to the hour and location they're used, which is the standard High-Impact RECs are already built around. Ever.green submitted formal comments during the first consultation window advocating to preserve and expand long-term forward contracts, since those are what actually get new renewable energy projects financed and built. We're tracking the process closely and building our reporting infrastructure to handle stricter matching requirements if they land, more on that in how RECs are tracked, verified, and retired below.

What makes a REC "High-Impact"?

A spot-market REC doesn't change whether a project gets built. The energy is already being generated, and the sale is just a claim on power that would exist either way. A High-Impact REC contract is structured differently: the revenue has to be material to the project's financial viability, and every project is scored against our Impact Scorecard for environmental and community impact before it qualifies.

What is additionality in renewable energy, and how is it measured?

Additionality means a project wouldn't have been built without the revenue from the REC contract.

Ever.green enters into long-term contracts directly with developers, by doing so we aim to ensure that the High-Impact RECs support projects that truly need it.

We look for:
- New or repowered projects.
- Pricing above the spot-market for voluntary RECs.
- Projects that rely on forward REC contracts for financing.

These measures help REC dollars directly drive the development of new renewable energy capacity. Ever.green's methodology for testing REC contracts for additionality involves an assessment of each project's financials, market dynamics, and the specific role that REC purchases play in making the project feasible. We seek assurance that the project's success materially depends on our High-Impact REC contracts, meaning our forward commitment directly influences the project’s financial feasibility.

Additionality claims are backed by representations from the developer to Ever.green, and then again in representations from Ever.green to buyers. This is designed to ensure transparency and credibility in sustainability claims, giving buyers confidence that their REC purchase is driving new renewable energy development. Read more in our Additionality Methodology.

Are Ever.green RECs Green-e certified?

Yes, Ever.green RECs sold directly to buyers are Green-e® Energy certified, and meet the environmental and consumer-protection standards set forth by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information about Green-e Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), see: www.green-e.org/rec.

What's the minimum purchase to buy RECs through Ever.green?

Each project has a different minimum purchase requirement that can range from 500 MWh to 5,000 MWh. Most companies buy a volume that matches their Scope 2 footprint, and some extend that to cover Scope 3 supply chain emissions as well. If you're unsure, reach out to our team at hello@ever.green and we'll find projects that align with your goals and volume requirements.

What are the payment terms?

Payments are typically made quarterly, when RECs are delivered. We offer discounted pricing for buyers who prepay a full year or the full contract term. In some cases, prepayment may be required, depending on the project.

What is the minimum contract term?

The minimum commitment term is typically five (5) years, although sometimes projects require a longer REC contract in order to be financially viable. Often contracts can be extended annually after the first 5 years.

How does the High-Impact REC procurement process work?

Ever.green starts by understanding your company's goals, priorities, volume, and timelines. We then identify projects within our portfolio that best align with your criteria. We contract directly with developers and, when it makes sense, split RECs from a single project across a cohort of buyers so companies with different energy loads can participate in impactful procurement.

Our marketplace shows available projects, pricing, and impact scorecards, and our team works with your sustainability team through decision-making, contracting, and due diligence.

How does the pricing of High-Impact RECs compare to spot-market RECs?

High-Impact RECs are priced above spot-market voluntary RECs. That premium is what makes the REC revenue material enough to affect whether the project gets financed at all, which is the basis for the additionality claim. In exchange, you get a fixed-price contract, a scored Impact Scorecard for the specific project, and a REC tied to that project rather than to the general market.

Spot-market RECs are purchased from existing renewable energy projects, often at a lower price, but do not necessarily contribute to building new renewable energy capacity.

How does Ever.green help mitigate the risks REC buyers face?

The three most common risks are project delays, ending up with more RECs than you need or fewer RECs than you need. Our contracts generally let you terminate a forward commitment if a project's completion is delayed past an agreed point. If your actual electricity use comes in below forecast, RECs can sometimes be applied to an adjacent year or, in limited cases, resold. If a project underperforms significantly, we'll work with you to find alternative REC sources or adjust the contract.

Ever.green works closely with buyers to mitigate potential risks, including:

‍Project delays: Our contracts generally permit buyers to terminate a forward REC commitment if project completion is delayed beyond a certain point past the estimated completion date, and buyers can mitigate this risk by choosing projects nearer to completion, or by choosing repowered projects.

‍Overproduction: a buyer may find that its electricity demands are less than forecasted, and find itself with more RECs than it can use to offset its Scope 2 emissions. RECs can sometimes be used in an adjacent year to the one in which they are produced, or in limited circumstances can be resold. 

‍Underproduction: Ever.green structures contracts to account for production variability. If a project underperforms significantly, Ever.green will work with buyers to find alternative REC sources or adjust contracts accordingly.

How are RECs tracked, verified, and retired?

Ever.green tracks generation at 15-minute intervals and calculates avoided emissions for each interval using marginal emissions data from WattTime. Each REC is allocated to buyers in fractional units down to 1 Wh, tied to the specific hour it was generated, so every supporting company gets an accurate, proportional share of the same project.

When a REC is retired, you get the official retirement confirmation from the tracking system, including the serial number range proving those RECs can't be claimed by anyone else, plus a serialized ledger linking each serial number to its generation hour, location, and avoided emissions. Ever.green retires and reports across ERCOT, WREGIS, PJM GATS, M-RETS, and NC-RETS, so you get one consistent record regardless of which registry holds your RECs. Learn more.

When will I start receiving my RECs?

Once the project begins commercial operation and starts generating RECs, delivery usually starts 60–90 days after the end of the first full quarter of operation. Buyers receive regular reports summarizing REC retirements.

After entering into a forward purchase agreement, you’ll receive a detailed summary outlining:

- The terms and conditions of your REC purchase
- The schedule for REC delivery and invoicing
- Retirement certificates