Nest Thermostat(s) and Clean Energy?

[tdeloffi]

Can someone please tell me how my Nest Thermostat(s) can distinguish "Clean" electrons from the other ones that came from Hydro, Nuclear, Coal-fired, or any others?

I'm inclined to think it's just a big shell game for the more impressionable or uneducated people.

Thanks for any enlightened folks who can share some knowledge on this. 

[MetalGlacier]

Your thermostat and Nest Renew use your location (zip code) to estimate where your energy sources are coming from and determining how clean those energy sources are. 

[tdeloffi · Accepted solution]

I see that the operative word here is “estimate”.  My take on this “clean energy” thing is different than what is being portrayed here.  Electricity is neither clean nor dirty!  The methods by which it is generated may or may not produce atmospheric emissions directly, (smoke or carbon oxides) or indirectly, (warm air or liquid),  (the byproducts of combustion or radiation). It is simply which method of generating electricity is economically feasible.

Thanks for your time.