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Over two million residential utility customers in the US's Pacific Northwest can now purchase "green power" directly, according to a new report released August 23 by the Portland, Ore.-based Renewable Northwest Project (RNP). Entitled "Powerful Choices: A Survey of Retail Green Power Programs in the Pacific Northwest," the report documents the features and early results of the 14 programs being offered to customers in the region, and four others in the West. "Both urban and rural utilities are recognizing that customers care about the environmental consequences of their energy choices," said Rachel Shimshak, director of RNP, a regional renewable advocacy organization. "Especially now, when the costs of fossil fuels are increasing, we hope more people will invest in renewable resources which have no fuel price, period," she added. Utilities ranging in size from Orcas Island in Washington, to PacifiCorp, serving five western states, are currently offering these programs to their customers. For the purposes of the report, "green power" includes power supplied by renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact hydro, or landfill gas. Prices and approaches in each program vary. "Our research shows the variety of innovative approaches that each utility is using to educate their customers about environmentally-preferred power," said Peter West, assistant director of RNP. "We hope that the examples provided in this report will inform and encourage other utilities to offer similar programs to their customers," said West. RNP identified six features that it believes lead to successful programs : * Offering stable rates that pass along to customers the predictable, nonvolatile rates of renewable resources without fuel costs; * Investing locally in resources that have tangible, positive local economic and environment benefits; * Offering new resources to customers that will create a net environmental benefit to the overall energy system; * Sharing the vision of a green power program by educating employees about the features of the program; * Providing incentives to encourage customers to take the extra step to sign up for green power; and * Partnering with community groups to help validate a utility's program and help educate customers. New Zealand has large hydro-power resources which in theory would alleviate the need for individuals to have to invest in alternative power sources. But, the sale of the power transmission and supply networks has resulted in a rake-off that leaves individuals no choice but to pursue personal and group projects to re-gain the fairness and equity that any concept of green power must include... .
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