Attribute Scorecard
This scorecard allows users to compare and assess different projects based on key criteria of the projects.
Additionality Indicators
Assessing causality (or additionality) in the clean energy industry is complex and often debated. PECs will include essential contextual and project-specific information to support stakeholders in evaluating the causality of buyer procurement. This transparency allows stakeholders to determine the most important criteria and identify PECs that align with their sustainability values.
Project context information included for all PECs:
Project Age/Vintage: The year the project commenced operations, providing insight into the project's lifecycle and alignment with current technological advancements.
Project Contractual Status: Information on whether the project is under a PPA, repowering contract, life extensions, uprates, or a long-term EAC agreement, indicating long-term commitments to CFE generation. Key contract terms such as contract start date and end date are included.
Mandated Generation: Details on whether the project is part of a utility rate base or supported by state-funded life extension programs, reflecting its role in mandated renewable energy contributions.
Dispatchable CFE: Capture the grid benefits of dispatchable CFE (geothermal and nuclear) compared to intermittent CFE (wind and solar).
Compliance CFE: Information on whether the project’s output is used to satisfy state Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) or Clean Energy Standard (CES) programs, indicating compliance-driven generation.
Community Impact and Social Justice
We integrate social equity and community benefits into PECs to ensure CFE projects deliver broader social value. Our approach encompasses a comprehensive matrix to quantify the following attributes, promoting social justice, economic inclusion, and equitable development:
Community Investment: Projects must demonstrate a significant investment in local communities, fostering job creation and economic opportunities. Priority is given to initiatives that support underrepresented and marginalized groups. Metrics may include the number of local jobs created, investment in local infrastructure, and support for community programs.
Equitable Access: We ensure that renewable energy's benefits, such as reduced energy costs and improved air quality, reach all communities. Special focus is given to historically underserved or disproportionately affected areas. Key indicators include the percentage of renewable energy directed to low-income households and improvements in local environmental conditions.
Inclusive Workforce Development: This initiative aims to diversify the renewable energy workforce by training and employing women, minorities, and economically disadvantaged individuals. It includes educational and vocational training programs to build local capacity. Metrics involve the diversity of the workforce, the number of training programs conducted, and the success rate of program participants in securing employment.
Environmental Justice: Projects must address the disproportionate environmental impacts on marginalized communities. Priority is given to initiatives that enhance environmental quality in these areas. Indicators include reductions in local pollution levels, improvements in public health metrics, and community feedback on environmental improvements.
SDGs Supported:
SDG 1: No Poverty
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Wildlife Conservation and Habitat
We have adopted the comprehensive matrix provided by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to assess and guide the environmental impact of energy-related projects. This matrix promotes sustainable development and ensures projects contribute positively to conservation and habitat goals. The key components of this matrix include:
Biodiversity: This criterion assesses the impact of projects on local ecosystems and species. It aims to preserve and enhance biodiversity through various project activities. Metrics may include the number of species protected, habitat restoration efforts, and measures to mitigate habitat disruption.
Ecosystem quality: This criterion evaluates the carbon impact on terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems caused by a particular project and the impact of emissions reductions on ecosystem quality and biodiversity.
Water Resources: This criterion evaluates the project's impact on water quality and availability. It includes considerations for watershed protection and sustainable water use. Key indicators involve strategies to prevent water pollution, sustainable water consumption, and efforts to maintain or improve local water ecosystems.
SDGs Supported:
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 14: Life Below Water
SDG 15: Life on Land
Human Health Impact
The public health impacts caused by a renewable energy project vary greatly based on the quantity of air pollutant emissions reduced and where they are reduced. For example, a renewable energy project operating in a fossil fuel-intensive grid that reduces emissions upwind of densely populated areas can have 10 – 20 times the impact on public health as a CFE project operating in a cleaner grid and reducing emissions downwind of densely populated areas.
To ensure that CFE projects improve public health, a detailed matrix has been developed to assess and guide the health impact of energy-related projects. This matrix focuses on reducing air pollution, promoting well-being, and increasing life expectancy.
Air Pollution: This criterion evaluates the project's impact on air quality, aiming to reduce pollutants such as particulate matter (PM-eq), photochemical oxidants (NOx-eq), and human toxicity emissions. Metrics may include avoided air pollutant reductions, improving local air quality indices, and the corresponding impacts on public health.
SDGs Supported:
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 13: Climate Action
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