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| Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System | |
|---|---|
| Name | Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System |
| Abbreviation | WREGIS |
| Formation | 2003 |
| Type | Non-profit registry |
| Headquarters | Sacramento, California |
| Region served | Western United States, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan |
| Parent organization | California Energy Commission |
Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System
The Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System is a regional renewable energy tracking registry that issues renewable energy certificates for electricity generation across multiple jurisdictions in the Western United States and western Canada. It supports compliance with renewable portfolio standards administered by agencies such as the California Energy Commission and market participants including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and Puget Sound Energy. The system interoperates with federal and provincial entities such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and provincial regulatory bodies.
The registry provides renewable energy certificate tracking, issuance, and retirement functions for generators like NextEra Energy Resources, Iberdrola Renewables, Invenergy, and Pattern Energy. It records attributes required by programs including the California Renewables Portfolio Standard, Oregon Renewable Portfolio Standard, Washington State Renewable Portfolio Standard, and British Columbia Clean Energy Standard. WREGIS facilitates transactions among market participants such as Shell Energy, BP Wind Energy, Ørsted, Enel Green Power, and Tesla Energy and supports reporting to entities like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The registry also integrates standards from organizations such as Green-e, Center for Resource Solutions, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and International Electrotechnical Commission.
The system originated from regional discussions involving the Western Governors' Association, California Public Utilities Commission, and the Western Interstate Energy Board to respond to policy instruments like the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and the emergence of renewable portfolio standard mandates. Early design and pilot phases involved contractors including Sandia National Laboratories, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and private firms such as Hitachi Consulting and Silver Spring Networks. After initial deployment, the registry evolved through governance changes involving the Center for Resource Solutions and coordination with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on interconnection and settlement practices. Technical updates incorporated practices from OpenADR, IEC 61850, and market systems used by California Independent System Operator and Western Electricity Coordinating Council.
Architecturally, the registry uses database and web service technologies common to systems built by firms like Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. It stores generation meter data, facility metadata, and transactional records comparable to systems maintained by PJM Interconnection, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, and Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Data ingestion supports formats and protocols referenced in North American Energy Standards Board standards and utilizes cryptographic controls modeled after practices at National Institute of Standards and Technology and Internet Engineering Task Force. The system tracks attributes such as fuel type, facility location tied to U.S. Geological Survey coordinates, ownership by entities like NextEra Energy Partners or Brookfield Renewable Partners, and certification status from programs like Green-e Energy Certification.
WREGIS governance includes representation from state agencies such as the California Energy Commission, Oregon Department of Energy, and Washington State Department of Commerce, utilities including Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Salt River Project, generators such as Pattern Energy Group and Avangrid Renewables, and non-governmental organizations like the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and The Nature Conservancy. Oversight has involved coordination with regional entities including the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and market operators such as the California Independent System Operator and Bonneville Power Administration. Advisory committees have featured technical input from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and legal counsel familiar with Federal Power Act compliance.
Stakeholders use the registry for compliance reporting under statutes like the California Renewables Portfolio Standard and for voluntary markets that employ Green-e certification and corporate procurement by firms such as Apple Inc., Google LLC, Amazon (company), and Microsoft. Market participants execute transactions for renewable energy certificates to support products offered by retailers including PG&E Corporation and Edison International. The registry enables attribute tracking for corporate sustainability programs aligned with initiatives such as the Science Based Targets initiative and reporting frameworks like the Carbon Disclosure Project and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
Access policies balance transparency with confidentiality for commercially sensitive facility data owned by companies like EDF Renewables and Iberdrola. Data sharing agreements are executed with utilities and aggregators such as CPS Energy and Xcel Energy and adhere to standards promoted by National Institute of Standards and Technology and Internet Engineering Task Force. Security controls mirror practices in federal systems overseen by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and integrate identity and access management patterns used by Okta, Inc. and Microsoft Azure Active Directory. Privacy considerations have involved consultation with legal entities experienced in California Consumer Privacy Act implementation.
Advocates including Renewable Northwest Project and Sierra Club credit the registry with improving traceability for programs influenced by the Western Governors' Association and facilitating transactions by Goldman Sachs Renewable Power and Morgan Stanley-backed projects. Criticisms from groups such as Friends of the Earth and some academic analyses at Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley argue the system can enable double counting risks and requires stronger locational and temporal granularity akin to recommendations from National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Debates continue involving policymakers at the California Public Utilities Commission, market operators like CAISO, and environmental advocates over reforms consistent with interstate markets and federal regulatory guidance from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Category:Renewable energy organizations