Dominion Energy combines RNG and offsets to help customers reduce their carbon footprint
Dominion Energy introduced a voluntary program in North Carolina that allows its residential and commercial customers to offset emissions from their natural gas use by supporting projects that reduce emissions, including renewable natural gas projects.
Carbon offsets compensate for carbon use from one source by reducing emissions from another source. According to the power and energy company, the GreenTherm program allows customers to purchase carbon offsets at $3 increments. Each $3 increment reduces emissions by 25%; most customers can reach net-zero from their home natural gas use for $12 a month.
According to Persida Montanez, communications specialist at Dominion Energy, the GreenTherm program is unique because it is not exclusively an offset program. While 90% of the offering comes from carbon offsets—those projects that directly reduce emissions—10% comes from RNG attributes derived from supporting RNG development and production, which also reduces emissions.
“We wanted to make this program as effective and as cost effective as possible,” Montanez told American Gas. “And we wanted to provide the best of both worlds—the benefits of the attributes, so we can continue supporting the growing RNG market, while also having the carbon-neutral aspect provided by the offsets.”
Another unique element is that most of the carbon offset projects are in North Carolina, including several landfill gas capture projects and an avoided forest conversion project, which manages forested land that’s been put into a conservation easement to protect it from development.
Launched in September, the GreenTherm program is being promoted through digital, social and traditional media channels.
“Some of our customers are really in tune with what’s going on with the climate and want to participate, and other customers want to learn more about it,” Montanez said. “So, as we work to promote it, we’re also educating customers about what it does to reduce emissions.”
GreenTherm is the latest energy efficiency and conservation program launched by Dominion Energy. In the summer, it introduced an expanded energy efficiency program called ThermWise, and the company repoorts its own emissions reduction program has reduced methane emissions by more than 38% from its operations since 2010.