I'm trying to find a green energy supplier, because Origin Energy is slightly ridiculous. So I ended up reading the fine print of the Green Electricity Watch website. I wanted to know why some companies were getting much higher ratings than others, even though they were all "100% Green".
I found this...
9.Why isn't any renewable energy good? Why does it need to be new and accredited?
When someone buys GreenPower, they usually want to make a difference to their greenhouse emissions. If their purchase has no effect on the amount of renewable energy that goes into our electricity system, it has no effect on greenhouse emissions. Green Electricity Watch considers the non-accredited part does not increase the amount of renewable energy. Accredited GreenPower is certified to come from new renewable generators - additional since when the scheme started – and continuing sales increase the size of the market so more renewable energy generation is built.
...which strikes me as pretty dumb. They're suggesting that we should build new renewable energy plants instead of using existing renewable power plants. Not only are they suggesting that, but they're including it in their evaluation of green energy providers. I can understand wanting to encourage further investment in renewable energy, but it seems to be creating some perverse incentives to build new plants when there are perfectly good ones sitting there already.
So I think that instead of trying to change to Origin because it has a slightly higher rating, I'll just stick with Energy Australia....
Except I just rang Energy Australia and they only do fixed price deals. So we'll be paying $108 extra per quarter for only $49 worth of green energy. Stupid capitalism. I want my own farm with a wind generator on it.
The reason that the GreenPower scheme in Australia is structured as it is to increase the use of renewable generation. If you purchased energy that existed before the start of the scheme (such as certain hydro), then someone would be charging you for base load generation that already existed and was contributing to the grid. In a perfect world, if everyone purchased GreenPower then the demand for renewable generation would be at 100% and non renewables such as coal would be 0%. The scheme has to be based around the credits created from accredited infrastructure, or it wouldn’t work.
Kris / 7:47pm / 12 June 2008
Obviously, they’re not wanting everyone to follow the advice or we’d have all these dormant, but perfectly good plants sitting around doing nothing. I suppose if all the die-hard hippies buy expensive energy from new power plants, then all the other folk can buy the cheap, old-school renewable stuff instead of coal power.
Ryan / 10:10pm / 12 June 2008
I’m with Origin, primarily because they had a good rating, and when I joined they were about the only company that offered the closest to a ‘true’ 100% renewable energy product and not some dodgy combination of hydro and green. I could choose my preferred energy source – either solar or wind. I went 100% solar. Plus I got a free magazine subscription which probably wasn’t produced using renewable energy or resources, and promotes rampant consumer envy. But hey, you can’t have everything.
lesley / 12:27am / 13 June 2008
I’m with Origin as well and it does cost heaps more so this is slightly disappointing.
emily / 1:22pm / 13 June 2008
Origin is good. And it’s not more expensive than other companies for green energy. We were with them at Simmons St, and they were fine.
Ryan / 2:45pm / 13 June 2008