The Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) has launched a pilot program allowing customers to designate a portion, or all, of their monthly electric usage to be attributable to power generated by renewable energy sources, such as wind power.

The Green Power Program is a voluntary program available to all NIPSCO electric customers, the company said in a statement released on Thursday.

Customers can designate 25, 50 or 100 percent of their monthly electric usage to be attributable to power generated by renewable energy sources. Commercial and industrial customers would have the added flexibility to designate 5 or 10 percent of their monthly usage. Customers may change their participation level or cancel at any time at no added cost.

“We're proud to offer residents and businesses in northern Indiana the opportunity to purchase renewable energy,” NIPSCO CEO Jim Stanley said. “The Green Power Program is a great complement to NIPSCO’s other customer offerings, which include electric vehicle incentives, energy efficiency programs and options that allow customers to generate their own power.”

Participating customers will pay a monthly premium in addition to NIPSCO’s standard, regulated electric rate. “The added costs are passed through directly to customers, with no mark up or financial return for NIPSCO,” the company said.

“Non-participating customers are not responsible for additional charges associated with making this program available.”

NIPSCO’s green power rate is $0.002163 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Green Power Designation monthly premiums, based on monthly electric usage of 1,000 kWh:

•25 percent: $0.54.

•50 percent: $1.08.

•100 percent: $2.16.

NIPSCO will purchase a sufficient amount of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to cover all green power designated by its electing customers. RECs are the environmental attributes associated with electricity that is generated from renewable sources.

NIPSCO’s green power purchases through this program will come from Midwestern resources.

NIPSCO Green Power Program RECs will be certified through Green-e® Energy, the nation’s leading renewable energy certification and verification program, with nearly 300 participating vendors. Green-e® Energy provides independent, third-party certification to ensure that certified renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards.

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) has reviewed and approved the NIPSCO Green Power Program.

For more information and to enroll, visit

NIPSCO.com/GreenPower or call (800) 4NIPSCO (464-7726).

Posted 1/28/2013