Can an open access consumer earn RECs for buying extra green power?
Yes, for renewable power bought above its renewable purchase obligation. CERC's 2022 regulations let an open access consumer get certificates for that excess, if it applies within three months of the financial year end with certification from its state commission.
The conditions
- You are an obligated open access consumer.
- Your renewable purchases exceed the obligation set by your state commission.
- The state commission certifies the excess.
- You apply to the Central Agency within three months of the year end.
Think before you sell
Selling those certificates passes the renewable attribute of the excess units to the buyer. Your own market-based Scope 2 can then no longer count those units as renewable. Decide whether the sale price is worth more than the claim to your customers.
What Senseible does here
Senseible keeps electricity bills and renewable purchase records side by side, so location-based and market-based Scope 2 figures can be reported from the same data. Certificate retirement proof stays with the buyer.
Sources: CERC (Terms and Conditions for Renewable Energy Certificates for Renewable Energy Generation) Regulations, 2022, notified 9 May 2022, GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance
Last reviewed 2026-10-23.