Only about half our electricity comes from renewable sources. The rest, including coal and gas causes massive carbon emissions. However, you can request your electricity provider to sell you 100% renewable energy, for about $5/month more, which has to be one of the all time best ever climate deals! Of course, because all electricity comes on the same wires, you'll use the same mix as everyone else, but you'll be requiring that your bill goes only to buy renewable energy. This is a huge way to accelerate investment in renewable power.
1. Dig out a recent electricity bill, or find it online (https://www.pge.com).Check if your electricity supplier is PG&E or Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) (about 95% of San Mateo county homes are on PCE). If you are on PCE, the list of charges on the first page will include “Peninsula Clean Energy Electric Generation Charges”. If you’re not on PCE, you can sign up at https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com.
2. If your electricity is from PCE, you can sign up for their 100% green electricity program, called Eco100, at https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/opt-up/. You’ll need your PG&E Account number, from your bill (it’s on the very top right of each page of your bill), and your name and zip code. On the next page, you’ll need to provide a phone number and email for confirmation purposes only. That’s all!
3. If you are on PG&E, their equivalent program is called called 100% Solar Choice and you can sign up for it by following that link.