Groundswell Energy Starter Guide: Clean Energy for Your Organization

By joining Groundswell Energy, you choose to switch to renewable energy reduced rates. Your choice makes a real difference. From all of us at Groundswell and on behalf of the planet and people we serve, thank you! If you’re ready to apply, visit groundswell.org/applygsegroundswell.org/applygse Affordable clean energy, together

What does Groundswell Energy do? Groundswell Energy helps nonprofits, charter schools, faith institutions and small businesses make the switch to affordable clean energy. Burning fossil fuels for electricity production is a major contributor to environmental pollution and climate change. By switching to renewable energy with us, you take a stand for the health of your community and our planet. With Groundswell Energy, the clean energy choice is the easy one – we return participants savings of between 2-20% and handle the entire purchasing process for you.

How does the program work? Switching is easy. Any organization that pays a power bill in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Pennsylvania has the right to choose its electricity source. You have the right to choose whether you want to purchase from your local utility company, or go with an alternative electricity supplier. If you don’t make a choice, you are automatically enrolled in the utility company’s Standard Offer Service (SOS) – a default rate on electricity generated almost entirely from dirty power sources. When you join our purchasing group, you take advantage of your power to choose by selecting clean sources at the lowest competitive rate through Groundswell. Your local utility will still deliver your electricity. But every month, the amount of electricity you use will come from 100% renewables, like wind.

How does the program work? By pooling our purchasing power, we are able to negotiate with clean energy suppliers for 100% wind power at the lowest possible rate for clean energy. We hold a vendor-neutral competitive bid process to ensure that we get the lowest rates and best contract terms on renewable energy. We then sign with the winning clean energy supplier.

Why clean energy? Joining with Groundswell includes the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates, which compensate clean energy sources (like wind farms) for the extra cost of generating clean energy. Your purchase helps support wind energy development as a replacement for dirty energy. Together, Groundswell Energy participants have taken the carbon emissions equivalent of 13,000 cars off the road for a year – no small feat!

How will this affect my bottom line? Groundswell Energy makes switching to clean energy cost-effective. 100% wind power typically comes at a premium. With Groundswell, your rates will be lower than what you pay the local utility company for dirty energy. Past savings per kilowatt hour has been between 2-20%. Participants have collectively saved $800,000 - you can reinvest these savings into your core mission or running your business. Our program makes your clean energy choice affordable.

Joining Groundswell Energy puts you in good company. Many of your neighbors and allies have already made the switch to affordable clean energy. In fact, over 200 institutions, from small businesses and nonprofits to schools and congregations, are members of our program. By joining with us, you demonstrate to your community, constituents and customers that you are committed to brighter, cleaner future. Our participating institutions include the following: The SEED School All Souls ChurchNAACP Headquarters Join a community of climate leaders

Frequently Asked Questions If you have a question not answered in this guide, contact the Groundswell Energy team at: (240)

Am I eligible? You are eligible if: – You pay an electric bill – both renting and owning the building is okay – You are not currently under contract with an electricity supplier OR – Your contract with an electricity supplier ends within the next year

What am I buying? Your electricity charges are divided into generation, transmission and distribution. Groundswell negotiates with clean energy suppliers for generation (from clean sources) and transmission costs. Distribution costs continue to come from your utility.

What do I sign? After you review prices, you can decide to contract to source clean electricity from the winning supplier We work with a law firm to negotiate for and ensure consumer protections in the contracts You can decide on a 1, 2 or 3 year contract term length If you change locations during the contract term, you can take the service with you. What changes when I make the switch through Groundswell? You will still get one electricity bill, from your local utility company (Pepco, BGE, Potomac Edison, West Penn, PECO, etc.) Your local utility company still handles service requests and emergencies The only difference is that your bill will represent clean energy at a cheaper price per kilowatt hour.

Great - sign me up. What are the next steps? 1.JOIN OUR GROUP: fill out the application form groundswell.org/applygse by March 4th This form allows us to negotiate on your behalf, and you will get to decide later whether you want to sign up with the winning offer. 2.REVIEW PRICES AND CONTRACT By March 23 rd, we will you sample contract language and a price estimate, so you can know what to expect. 3. SIGN AND SAVE You can sign a contract (via ) on either March 25 th or April 1 st. Once you sign a contract (via ), you’ll have locked in a low rate on 100% wind power for your organization.

That’s it! Together, we can choose clean energy savings. Your decision makes a real difference. Join us in taking thousands of cars off the road for a year Join your neighbors and allies as climate leaders. Save between 2-20% on your electricity bill. To gain access to our discounted group rates, apply here: groundswell.org/applygsegroundswell.org/applygse If you’d like more information, please or call (202) 753-