Oregon Department of Justice

Attorney General Hardy Myers today announced adoption by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) of the Environmental Marketing Guidelines for Electricity. The national Guidelines are intended to help states' Attorneys General and the electric power industry prevent unfair and deceptive environmental claims in the emerging deregulated electricity market.

Myers chaired the Environmental Marketing Subcommittee that developed the Guidelines as part of NAAG's Energy Deregulation Working Group.

"As the electric power industry moves from regulated monopoly to open competition for customers, environmental claims will become an important part of the new way electricity is marketed," Myers said. "These claims will exert a strong appeal for many customers who will have little or no ability to verify them. The Guidelines are a vitally important step in the effort to keep environmental claims accurate."

The Guidelines strive to reduce the potential for fraud by requiring reliable substantiation for all environmental marketing claims and discouraging vague or misleading claims. The Guidelines also specifically address the proper use of a number of general and specific environmental benefit claims like "renewable," "green," and "clean."

"Although the Guidelines are not laws, they represent NAAG's best thinking as to how the electric power industry should conduct itself in making environmental claims as part of its marketing of electricity," Myers said. "The goal of the Guidelines is to educate and guide the industry and help them avoid environmental marketing strategies that may confuse or deceive consumers."

"I am very pleased that Oregon was able to play a leading role in the development of the Guidelines," Myers said. "I especially want to recognize the work of Assistant Attorney General Colin Yost of the Department's Financial Fraud/Consumer Protection Section."

For a copy of the Environmental Marketing Guidelines for Electricity, please visit the Department of Justice's website at www.doj.state.or.us.