PaleMelanesian
07-14-2009, 04:40 PM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Electric utility chief says separate charge for renewable power may need to be rolled into all users' bills. (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/07/12/0712greenchoice.html)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Wisconsin_Wind_Farm.jpgMarty Toohey - STATESMAN (http://www.statesman.com) - July 12, 2009
Prices rising. Especially in this economy, most care more about the bottom line than the environment. --Ed.
For the past decade, Austin's ambition to become the world's clean-energy capital has been best exemplified by one effort: GreenChoice, a program that sells electricity generated entirely from renewable sources such as wind.
Now the nationally renowned program is struggling to find buyers — the latest allotment is 99 percent unsold after seven months on the market — and Austin Energy is looking for ways to bring down the rising costs.
But those are short-term talks.
Austin Energy officials say that times have changed and that the nation's most successful (by volume of sales) green-energy program, which offers the renewable energy only to those who select it, might no longer be the best way to carry out the city's goals. It now costs almost three times more than the standard electricity rate.
"I think it's time to sit back and look at the philosophy behind GreenChoice," said Roger Duncan, the head of Austin Energy and the chief architect of GreenChoice.
"It was our intent to use it to stimulate the market for renewables, which it did, and then eventually phase it out," Duncan said. "It was never intended to go on forever."
Duncan said part of the solution might just be adding new wind, solar and other renewable-energy projects into the bills of all Austin Energy customers, which could increase rates for everyone. He said there are also numerous other policies being considered but declined to discuss them, saying only that they will be proposed publicly in the near future. ... http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/07/12/0712greenchoice.html
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Wisconsin_Wind_Farm.jpgMarty Toohey - STATESMAN (http://www.statesman.com) - July 12, 2009
Prices rising. Especially in this economy, most care more about the bottom line than the environment. --Ed.
For the past decade, Austin's ambition to become the world's clean-energy capital has been best exemplified by one effort: GreenChoice, a program that sells electricity generated entirely from renewable sources such as wind.
Now the nationally renowned program is struggling to find buyers — the latest allotment is 99 percent unsold after seven months on the market — and Austin Energy is looking for ways to bring down the rising costs.
But those are short-term talks.
Austin Energy officials say that times have changed and that the nation's most successful (by volume of sales) green-energy program, which offers the renewable energy only to those who select it, might no longer be the best way to carry out the city's goals. It now costs almost three times more than the standard electricity rate.
"I think it's time to sit back and look at the philosophy behind GreenChoice," said Roger Duncan, the head of Austin Energy and the chief architect of GreenChoice.
"It was our intent to use it to stimulate the market for renewables, which it did, and then eventually phase it out," Duncan said. "It was never intended to go on forever."
Duncan said part of the solution might just be adding new wind, solar and other renewable-energy projects into the bills of all Austin Energy customers, which could increase rates for everyone. He said there are also numerous other policies being considered but declined to discuss them, saying only that they will be proposed publicly in the near future. ... http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/07/12/0712greenchoice.html