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How to Purchase MA Class I Recs for BERDO Compliance

A resource for building owners in Boston to plan for purchasing MA Class I Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), including through the City of Boston’s MA Class I REC Connector Program.

Building owners have different ways to use renewable energy to comply with Boston’s Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO). Purchasing MA Class I RECs is one of the key renewable energy options that can help you lower your building’s emissions from its electricity use. Read more to learn how to purchase MA Class I RECs for BERDO compliance.

PAGE SUMMARY

▸ If you own a large building in Boston, you may choose to buy MA Class I RECs in order to comply with BERDO.

▸You can purchase your RECs through the City of Boston’s MA Class I REC Connector Program or independently through REC brokers.  

▸The deadline to purchase RECs through the MA Class I REC Connector Program for 2025 emissions compliance is March 1, 2026.

WHAT IS A RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATE (REC)?

A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a digital record showing that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of renewable energy was generated and added to the power grid. Buying RECs shows your building uses renewable energy even if it is not physically connected to a wind turbine or a solar panel.

While there are different types of RECs you can buy, only MA Class I RECs from non-emitting sources can be used for BERDO compliance.

WHY ARE MA CLASS I RECS MANDATORY?

MA Class I RECs are required for BERDO compliance because they are sourced from high-quality, local renewable energy that contribute the most toward reaching the state's energy goals. MA Class I RECs only come from renewable sources located in New England that started operating after 1997. BERDO only accepts non-emitting MA Class I RECs, which means the energy must come from sources that do not produce emissions, including: 

  • Solar power
  • Wind power
  • Small hydropower
  • Geothermal energy

Note: RECs from biomass and landfill methane cannot be used for BERDO compliance.​​

HOW TO BUY WITH MA CLASS I RECS CONNECTOR PROGRAM

The Green Energy Consumers Alliance responded to a ↗ Request for Information from the City of Boston to support building owners with purchasing MA Class I RECs to comply with BERDO. Green Energy Consumers Alliance is a mission-driven non-profit with over 26 years of experience in the REC market.

Deadline: To use the MA Class I RECs Connector Program for your 2025 emissions compliance, you must purchase your MA Class I RECs by March 1, 2026.

Follow the steps below to buy MA Class I RECs from Green Energy Consumers Alliance:

  1.  Use our ↗ Emissions Compliance Projections Template to calculate the amount of RECs you need to purchase for your building. 
  2.  Visit Green Energy Consumers Alliance’s ↗ BERDO Online Portal. This portal page displays REC pricing, administrative fees, payment methods, and purchase deadlines.
  3.  Select the amount of RECs you want to purchase and fill in the request form.
  4.  For orders between 1 - 49 RECs, you will be prompted to pay via credit card. For orders of 50 or more RECs, you will receive an invoice on your email within 3–5 business days after submitting your request. You can then submit your payment via ACH.
  5.  Following payment, you will receive an email confirmation of your REC purchase.
  6.  Green Energy Consumers Alliance will retire the amount of RECs you requested on your behalf no later than June 15. This means that your RECs will be taken out of the New England energy market so no one else can claim they used the same energy you bought.
  7.  Green Energy Consumers Alliance will send you proof of REC retirement within 30 business days of the retirement. You can use this as supporting documentation of REC retirement for BERDO reporting.

HOW TO BUY MA CLASS I RECS INDEPENDENTLY

You can also purchase RECs independently to comply with BERDO. Follow the steps below to successfully purchase RECs for your building. 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1.  Calculate your building emissions. Use our ↗ BERDO Emissions Compliance Projections Template to calculate the amount of RECs you need to purchase for your building. 
  2.  Compare REC brokers. 
    • For most building owners, it is best to contract with a REC broker to buy MA Class I RECs on your behalf. We recommend requesting quotes from multiple providers for the sake of price and quality comparison. 
    • Consult the ↗ City of Boston’s list of REC brokers to compare brokers. Note: many brokers require a minimum amount of RECs purchased, meaning some brokers may not sell to you if the number of RECs you need is too small.
    • Wherever you get your MA Class I RECs, make sure you are buying from a legitimate source. The best way to do this is by ↗ validating that your REC broker has an active account with the New England Power Pool Generation Information System (NEPOOL GIS), the digital system that issues and tracks RECs for all renewable energy in New England.
  3.  IMPORTANT: Make sure you buy the correct RECs by talking to your broker and reviewing your contract. Your MA Class I RECs must fulfill the following requirements: 
    • There are many types of RECs available, but only MA Class I RECs from non-emitting sources are allowed under BERDO. Other RECs such as MA Class II, Green-e, or SREC II RECs are not eligible.
    • Your RECs must be retired from NEPOOL GIS.  Retiring a REC means it is taken out of the New England energy market so no one else can claim they used the same energy you bought.
    • Your RECs must be generated during the compliance year for which you are mitigating emissions or within the 12 months prior. For example, to use a MA Class I REC to comply with your 2025 emissions standard, the REC must have been generated any time between January 2024 and December 2025.
    • RECs must be retired from NEPOOL no later than 6 months after the end of the compliance year for which you are mitigating emissions. For example, to use a MA Class I REC to comply with your 2025 emissions standard, the REC must be retired by June 30, 2026.
  4. Ask your REC broker for proof of REC retirement. This can be a screenshot from NEPOOL GIS or a letter of attestation showing that your broker retired MA Class I RECs that meet BERDO requirements on your behalf. You will need to provide supporting documentation of REC retirement for BERDO reporting.

SAMPLE CONTRACT

We created a sample MA Class I REC contract as an educational resource to help you understand standard REC contracts and give you tips on what to ask your broker to guarantee you buy a BERDO-compliant product.

OPEN SAMPLE CONTRACT

 

GET ASSISTANCE

If you have any questions about purchasing a REC through a broker, please reach out to the City of Boston’s BERDO team at energyreporting@boston.gov or 617-635-3850 x5.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQs
  • Visit the ↗ BERDO Emissions Compliance Projections Template  to calculate your emissions projections and estimate how many RECs you will need to match any electricity emissions over your emissions limit. 
  • We recommend you over-estimate how many RECs you will need and “cushion” yourself by buying more RECs. Any RECs generated in  2025 that you don’t use for 2025 emissions compliance can be used to comply with your 2026 emission standard.
  • If you are unsure about how to estimate how many RECs you will need to buy for your 2025 emissions compliance, you can email energyreporting@boston.gov.
  • You may purchase RECs to use for your 2025 emissions compliance by March 1, 2026. We recommend submitting your request as soon as possible. 
  • RECs will continue to be available throughout 2026 to use for your 2026 emissions compliance.

No, you can buy MA Class I RECs from any REC broker, as long as you follow all BERDO requirements from MA Class I RECs. You can find other REC brokers ↗ here. The City of Boston does not endorse nor recommend using Green Energy Consumers Alliance over other businesses.

  • The City of Boston selected this non-profit following a ↗ Request for Information (RFI) process to identify qualified vendors willing to transact small volumes of RECs for BERDO. Green Energy Consumers Alliance was the only qualified respondent and is now offering MA Class I REC services for all types of BERDO buildings owners. 
  • The City may re-issue this RFI at its discretion to include new vendors in the MA Class I REC Connector Program in future years.
  • You may still be able to purchase MA Class I RECs from a different REC broker by following the steps in the “How Do I Buy MA Class I RECs Independently” section above. You can find other REC brokers ↗ here.
  • Please note that many brokers require a minimum amount of RECs purchased, meaning some brokers may not sell to you if the number of RECs you need is too small.

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