October 22, 2003 (Portland, Ore.) — Since June of 2002 the Bonneville Environmental Foundation's Northwest Solar Co-op, which makes residential and business-scale solar systems more affordable, has stimulated twenty-two new local solar projects. The Co-op's collective capacity of 75 kilowatts makes the program one of the region's largest sources of solar energy.

"This represents a dramatic increase in new, clean, and renewable solar energy that's in the ground because of the success of the Co-op," said Angus Duncan, President of BEF. "Because the Co-op makes solar more affordable, we've seen projects go forward that would otherwise have been deferred or dropped. Homeowners and businesses are able to do something that's good for their own bottom line and good for the environment."

"The blackout in the East demonstrates the importance of diversifying the electricity grid and introducing alternatives," said Doug Boleyn, the Co-op's Manager. "The Co-op brings new suppliers into the grid, creating a flexibility and independence that results in greater overall reliability. These positive benefits of distributed generation explain why it represents a model for the future. The fact that the power we're adding is non-polluting makes it even better."

Since forming in 1998, BEF has partnered in the development of approximately 225 kilowatts of solar projects in the Pacific Northwest.

The Solar Co-op creates a revenue stream for homeowners and businesses discouraged by the front-end costs of solar generation. Project owners sell the Green Tags from their new solar installations to BEF through the Northwest Solar Co-op, for up to five years, after which ownership reverts back to the system owner. BEF resells these Green Tags to green power supporters, thus sharing the costs and environmental benefits of the facility with others. BEF launched the Co-op in June of 2002 in a partnership with Cascade Solar, a private consulting firm in Gladstone, Ore. Learn more about the Co-op and Cascade Solar at www.cascadesolar.com.

About BEF
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. Created by regional environmental groups and the Bonneville Power Administration, the Foundation operates collaboratively with but independent of both.

About Green Tags
Green Tags are certificates that represent the environmental benefits from a specific amount of electricity from a wind turbine, solar panel or other renewable energy source. When non-polluting energy displaces energy produced from burning fossil fuels, there is a corresponding savings in greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) that is captured as the Green Tag.

BEF’s Green Tags are certified by Green-e (www.green-e.org) and designated Climate Cool by the Climate Neutral Network as having a net zero impact on the climate while also displacing fossil fuel generated electricity and approximately 1,400 pounds of CO2 emissions per Green Tag (www.climateneutral.com). The new renewable energy resources that produce BEF’s Green Tags are certified by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Renewable Northwest Project and the Northwest Energy Coalition.

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