The M-RETS platform is an industry-leading environmental attribute tracking system that tracks and manages the activity of a diverse variety of clean energy resources and other commodities. We blend open data and transparency with a simple user experience to drive value and create greater access for generators, utilities, and marketers.
Our online platform provides enormous environmental and economic benefits to generators and suppliers across North America by tracking their generated energy outputs and placing a dollar value on the environmental benefits of their renewable energy outputs. We devote a team of full-time engineers and designers to continually improve the user experience of our tracking system.
Capture Environmental Value for Clean Generation
- Creates a platform that places a dollar value on environmental benefit
- Allows clean and green generators to access an additional revenue stream or “green” premium
- Ensures more liquid commodity pricing
- Reduces transaction costs for generators and suppliers
Simplify Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Reporting and Compliance
- Introduces administrative and cost efficiencies
- Unbiased third-party verification
- Addresses data confidentiality concerns
- Assist in reporting RPS and compliance
Offer Credits to Your Customers Across all of North America
- Ensures increased market liquidity
- Provide your customers an opportunity to benefit from renewable energy in the region
- Leverage easy to use, proven platform that enables tracking and trading of credits
Our platform
The M-RETS platform can track environmental attributes used for voluntary claims across North America.
Eligible generation for compliance purposes may be located in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, Texas, Wisconsin, and the Canadian province of Manitoba.
Renewable generation is defined as energy generated by a facility that is considered renewable as defined by any state or province. The M-RETS® Administrator will issue one electronic M-RETS® Certificate for each MWh of energy that is generated by registered generators. To prevent double-counting, generators participating in M-RETS® track their generation output by M-RETS®. In addition, M-RETS® will consider tracking nonrenewable generation from any of these states in the future.
Participation in M-RETS® is voluntary, although some states may designate the M-RETS® platform as the tracking system to be used to meet a state’s renewable energy standards. Any party, including non-generators, such as traders, marketers and end-use customers may establish an account in the system.
All data in M-RETS® is verified. M-RETS® will not determine eligibility for state or voluntary programs. Each individual state will be responsible for determining whether a particular generating unit qualifies for a state program or not. However, the State Commissions may use the information collected and verified by M-RETS® to conduct this determination. M-RETS® will issue reports on activity within the system.
M-RETS Renewable Electricity
How it works
M-RETS facilitates REC markets by issuing a unique, traceable digital certificate (i.e., one REC) for every megawatt hour (“MWh”) of verified renewable energy recorded on the platform. Once issued, M-RETS users can choose to transfer (buy/sell), retire, import or export RECs. M-RETS users can retire certificates either to comply with state mandates or to fulfill their voluntary commitments, ensuring that certificates are not double counted. M-RETS can register projects across North America and Canadian provinces and will support imports and exports with any registry in North America.
M-RETS Renewable Thermal
How it works
M-RETS facilitates RTC markets by issuing a unique, traceable digital certificate (i.e., one RTC) for every dekatherm (“dth”) of verified renewable thermal energy recorded on the platform. The M-RETS platform provides more than just the ability to track volumes of biomethane. M-RETS provides for—but does not require—the ability to track carbon pathways and carbon intensity (CI) values with comprehensive documentation as part of each certificate.
Once issued, M-RETS users can choose to transfer (buy/sell), retire, import, or export RTCs. M-RETS users can retire certificates either to comply with state mandates or to fulfill their voluntary commitments, ensuring that certificates are not double counted. M-RETS registers projects in across North America, including all Canadian provinces. M-RETS will support imports and exports with any registry in North America.
Green-e Tracking in M-RETS
M-RETS offers an approved tracking system for Green-e and can track across North America
With the new requirement that Green-e Energy certified products must be supplied and substantiated by renewable MWh tracked in a renewable energy tracking system (vintage July 2018 and later) that is approved by Green-e Energy, M-RETS is an ideal choice to meet your needs. M-RETS tracks generation from renewable resources across North America, making it easy to maintain all of your renewable assets for the voluntary market in one system. With a modern user interface, dedication to customer service and responsiveness, and Board of Directors that includes actual users, we look forward to serving you. To find out more information about Green-e and Green-e certified projects, visit here.
Facilities registered in CA will only be approved as CRS listed with the status “Approved – Requires Additional Green-e® Verification”. Supply from such facilities may not satisfy Green-e® certification requirements without such additional steps, such as procurement of allowances or retirement allowance. For more information, please contact CRS at [email protected].
Transparency
We support open and transparent markets. Using our modern API, the M-RETS system supports allowing imports and exports between all REC tracking systems in North America, including allowing for the import/export of imported/exported RECs. If your current system does not have import/export with M-RETS, please contact them and ask to establish a connection.
Data integrity
To register a generating unit in M-RETS, an account holder must attest that the unit is not registered in any other registry.
To substantiate renewable energy claims, M-RETS defines a REC as a “whole REC” and includes all environmental attributes.
To prevent double-counting, M-RETS requires the reporting of 100 percent of the output from a registered unit.
M-RETS sources the vast majority of this data from meter readings of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).
When using a Reporting Entity is not possible (e.g. MISO, SPP, or third party QRE), M-RETS relies on subscribers to self-report generation data. M-RETS has implemented additional verification tools to ensure every reported MWh is feasible and consistent with historically reported data.
Eligible generation for compliance purposes may be located in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin, and the Canadian province of Manitoba.
Starting with vintage 2018 generation, the M-RETS platform tracks environmental attributes used for voluntary claims in all states, provinces and territories in North America. M-RETS is an independent non-profit organization, making it unique amongst REC or energy tracking systems in the U.S.
M-RETS Coverage in North America
Learn more about RECs by watching this short video produced by Center for Resource Solutions:
