Compensating for What You Can’t Eliminate

Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets

Some communities explore options such as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or carbon offsets as part of their net-zero planning. Both mechanisms can play a role, but they are complex and often temporary solutions. Rather than going into detail here, we provide a fuller discussion of RECs, offsets, and their limitations in the Beyond Energy / Other Opportunities chapter. If your community is considering these approaches, we encourage you to review that section for guidance and cautions.