Bullfrog Power, a Spark Power company, is a Canadian
green energy
Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...
retailer operating in Canada. Bullfrog offers green electricity from
renewable energy sources such as
wind
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ho ...
and low-impact
hydro
Hydro from Ancient Greek word ὕδωρ (húdōr), meaning ''water''.
Hydro may also refer to:
Energy technologies
* Water-derived power or energy:
** Hydropower, derived from water
** Hydroelectricity, in electrical form
* "Hydro", AC mains ...
, as well as green fuel and green natural gas, a renewable
biogas
Biogas is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste and food waste. It is a ...
product that serves as an alternative to fossil fuel-based natural gas. Bullfrog only sources electricity from generation sources that meet or exceed the
federal government's
Environmental Choice Program {{Otheruses, Environmental Choice New Zealand
The Environmental Choice ProgramEnvironmental Choice Program is an ecolabelling scheme that was established by Environment Canada in 1988 with over 300 categories of products to help consumers identif ...
EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity. Bullfrog's green natural gas product is produced at facilities that have met environmental standards as defined by
ICF International
ICF International, Inc. is a Reston, Virginia-based global consulting and technology services company, which provides a range of services for governments and businesses, including strategic planning, management, marketing and analytics.
The compa ...
.
[Operating Criteria and Quantification Methodology for Green Natural Gas.](_blank)
ICF International. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
Across Canada, Bullfrog's electricity comes exclusively from regionally sourced wind, solar, and low-impact hydro facilities.
Bullfrog's green natural gas is produced at the Dépôt Rive-Nord, a biogas facility in Quebec.
Less Emission is a subsidiary of Bullfrog "that works to limit the environmental impact of air travel–an important service for festivals and conferences across Canada."
Operation
Bullfrog Power does not inject the green electricity, green natural gas, or green fuel directly into a customer's home or facility, as doing so would require building parallel energy distribution systems, which are observed to be neither environmentally nor financially sound.
Instead, Bullfrog ensures that the electricity being put onto the grid on its customers' behalf is from renewable sources. For every MWh of clean, renewable electricity that is produced and injected onto the grid by a green power generator, a corresponding Green Electricity Certificate (GEC) is created to represent the positive environmental benefits (such as emissions reductions) associated with producing that green power.
Bullfrog uses a customer's premium to secure and retire Green Electricity Certificates from wind, solar, or low-impact hydro generators on the customer's behalf. This entitles the customer to claim the green energy and associated emissions reductions.
Similar to the way its green electricity offering works, Bullfrog secures and retires Green Natural Gas Certificates on behalf of customers, enabling customers to claim the green energy and associated environmental benefits.
Bullfrog Power's sister company, Less Emissions Inc., provides
CDM Gold Standard
The Gold Standard (GS), or Gold Standard for the Global Goals, is a standard and logo certification mark program for non-governmental emission reductions projects in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), thVoluntary Carbon Marketand other climate ...
and VER+ Standard-certified
carbon offsets.
Customers and supporters
Bullfrog Power currently has more than 8,000 residential customers and more than 1,300 commercial customers. Well-known residential customers include
Kristina Groves
Kristina Nicole Groves (born December 4, 1976) is a Canadian retired speed skater. She is Canada's most decorated skater in the World Single Distances Championships with 13 career medals in this event.http://vancouver.sportingnews.com/wolympics/a ...
,
Thomas Homer-Dixon
Thomas Homer-Dixon (born 1956) is a Canadian political scientist and author who researches threats to global security. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia. He is ...
, and
Nino Ricci.
[Bullfrog Founders Club.](_blank)
Bullfrog Power. Retrieved 2012-03-12. Notable bullfrogpowered organizations include Unilever Canada,
AutoShare
Enterprise Holdings is an American private holding company headquartered in Clayton, Missouri in Greater St. Louis. It is the parent company of car rental agencies Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental, Alamo Rent a Car and also operate ...
, and
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper.
[bullfrogpowered Green Index.](_blank)
Bullfrog Power. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
A number of environmental organizations support Bullfrog Power's renewable energy, such as
WWF-Canada, the
David Suzuki Foundation and the
Pembina Institute
The Pembina Institute is a Canadian think tank and registered charity focused on energy. Founded in 1985, the institute has offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver. The institute's mission is to "advance a prosperous clean en ...
.
Transparency
Bullfrog Power is audited on an annual basis to confirm that as much green electricity, natural gas, and fuel has been injected onto the system as its customers have used, and that it has retired all emissions credits related to customer contracts.
[Bullfrog Power Green Energy Audits.](_blank)
Bullfrog Power. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
Bullfrog pioneered the concept of an annual audit for green electricity retailers when it launched in 2005.
B Corporation status
In 2011, Bullfrog Power announced its certification as one of Canada's founding B Corporations by B Lab.
[Bullfrog Power becomes one of Canada's first Certified B Corporations.](_blank)
Bullfrog Power. Retrieved 2012-03-12. Certified B Corporations meet higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their employees, suppliers, community, consumers, and the environment.
In 2012, Bullfrog Power was named to B Corporation's "Best for the World" list under the category "Best for the Environment."
In 2013, Bullfrog Power was once again named to B Corporation's "Best for the World" list, this time under the category "Best for Environmental Impact."
In 2018, Bullfrog Power was recognized in the Environment, Workers, and Governance categories.
Best for the World
B Corporation. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
References
{{reflist, 1
External links
Bullfrog Power
Pembina, WWF-Canada & David Suzuki Foundation endorsement quotations on Bullfrog Power homepage.
Less Emissions
Renewable energy companies of Canada
Energy in Ontario
Companies based in Toronto
Canadian companies established in 2005
Energy companies established in 2005
Renewable resource companies established in 2005
Benefit corporations