The Federal Trade Commission is being asked to determine if Vermont's largest electric utility is making deceptive claims about the renewable energy it produces.
A petition filed by four environmentalists claims Green Mountain Power is asserting that its customers are using electricity from renewable sources when the utility sells the rights to that claim.
The petition says GMP sells renewable energy credits for electricity that is produced by some of its sources to other utilities so those utilities can claim to be using renewable electricity, yet GMP still claims the power its customers use is renewable.
One of the lawyers who filed the petition, Patrick Parenteau, says Vermont consumers are bearing the costs of producing renewable energy without getting the benefits.
GMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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