Avista got its start by supporting our region with clean, renewable hydropower. Renewables continue to be an important part of the resource mix, although some new renewable energy sources which produce fewer CO2 emissions also cost more. It’s why we are proud to offer our Buck-A-Block program. An extra buck ($1) to your monthly bill covers the cost for a block of renewable energy credits from wind and solar. Each block offsets the environmental impact of 300 kilowatt hours of electricity or the equivalent CO2 emissions a car produces driving 100 miles. This is an easy way for customers who support the growth of clean resources to purchase renewable energy from projects in our region and beyond.
People have been putting renewable resources to work in lots of ways for thousands of years. And now you can, too. Since 2002, Buck-A-Block has been offered to our customers as a choice to offset the environmental impacts of the energy they use. An average customer uses between 600 and 1,000 kWh of electricity a month. By participating in Buck-A-Block and purchasing two to four "blocks" means up to 100 percent (or more) of that energy could come from a renewable resource-such as wind, biomass or solar.
Buck-A-Block is one of the easiest ways to support emission reducing power generation while lessening and offsetting the overall impact on the environment.