Imperial, California - The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors has approved the development of a new green energy rate program that will allow customers to designate how much renewable energy they wish to be served.

“At IID, we put our customers first and are committed to tailoring rates, policies and services to meet the needs of our communities,” said IID Board President James Hanks. “Our customers have asked us to give them options for renewables and this program does just that.”

In 2018, 35 percent of IID’s overall generation delivered to customers will come from renewable energy sources. Customers who elect participation in the new Green Energy Renewable Program can choose to be served with an even greater percentage of renewables, up to 100 percent.   

The new program will provide customers an alternative solution to help support the environment without having to invest in, or install, on-site renewable generation systems.

The program is expected to launch in the last quarter of 2018. It is estimated to increase the per kilowatt-hour rate between $0.013 to $0.02 for those customers who elect this option. The program will be open to all retail electric customers, with an exception for customers who have installed on-site renewable systems or wholesale power customers receiving standby service.

The district has allocated 5 megawatts it the initial offering; however, additional megawatts may be added to the program if customer demand warrants an increase.

A champion for renewable energy, IID has invested millions of dollars in incentives to help customers take part in its renewable energy programs, including issuing rebates, weatherizing homes, tuning-up AC units and offering savings on energy and excess power sold to IID through its net metering and net billing programs.