The City of River Falls is again receiving recognition from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which evaluates the renewable energy efforts of utilities across the country.
On Monday, October 17, NREL released its annual rankings, which were based on data from the past year. For 2021, River Falls Municipal Utilities (RFMU) ranked No. 2 in the nation for green power participation and No. 7 for green power sales rate. With the exception of 2005, the City has achieved at least one top 10 ranking from NREL each year the lists have been released since 2004.
The green power sales rate is based on the ratio of a utility’s renewable energy sales to total sales, while the green power participation rate measures the percentage of customers who participate in a utility’s renewable energy programs. In 2021, renewable energy accounted for 6.28% of RFMU sales, and nearly 15% of RFMU customers participated in the utility’s green energy programs.
“The people of River Falls continue to receive national attention when it comes to renewable energy,” Kevin Westhuis, City of River Falls Utility Director, said. “To have so many individuals invested in a zero-carbon future is very exciting, and I hope we’re able to continue leading the way until every community in the nation runs on 100% renewable energy.”
One of the utility’s most popular offerings, the green block program, helped the City obtain this recognition. The program allows customers to purchase green energy blocks for two dollars apiece per month, which increase the amount of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and biogas, used to power their homes or businesses. A typical home can run on 100% clean energy with the purchase of two to three green blocks.
To learn more about the City’s renewable energy efforts and how you can get involved, click here.