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Other Factors to Consider:
Am I Really Getting Green Power?
Probably not--the flow of electricity usually follows the path of least resistance to the nearest demand, so you probably don't get green electrons at your meter. The electricity system operates like a large pool of water, with many pumps (power plants) adding water and many outlets (customers) withdrawing it. When you buy green power, instead of actually getting it at your home or business, you are helping to change the mix of generating plants that put electricity into the "pool." Each green power provider generates or purchases from a generator enough wind or other renewable energy to supply the amount of electricity that green power customers are purchasing. By selecting wind energy over conventional electricity generation, consumers indicate support for the growth of America's wind energy industry and encourage utilities to add and expand green power programs. As the popularity of green power grows, power producers have to build additional wind plants to meet growing demand.
Will My Electricity Supply Be Reliable When the Wind Isn't Blowing?
Yes. Remember that the wind energy is not delivered directly to your meter. Instead, the wind energy goes into a "pool" along with all other types of energy generation. It is this "pool" that serves all electricity users. This is true whether or not the wind blows. Therefore, if one plant, say a wind turbine (but also any other power plant), isn't generating, then another plant will be asked to generate more electricity to meet demand.
Most power outages or interruptions in your service are not caused by whether or not a particular generator is operating. Instead, the problem is usually in the distribution system--for example, power lines downed from a storm. So you'll still call your local distribution utility when you have a problem.
How Do I Know I'm Getting
What I Pay For?
There are several ways. The easiest way is to look for independent certification that the product meets certain environmental standards. One such certification mark is the
Center for Resource Solution's Green-e. In addition to certifying that certain standards are met, Green-e certification requires that an independent audit be conducted for each product certified, proving that the green power marketer obtained and sold the same amount of green power as was purchased by its customers over the previous year.
Most states that have restructured require that certain information be disclosed to customers on a standard electricity label. This information tells you, among other things, what sources are used to generate your electricity. Verification of the information shown on the labels may vary, but companies that provide incorrect or false information may be fined or lose their operating licenses.
If you are buying green power from a regulated utility, you can ask your utility for a report on how much was generated and how much was sold. In some cases, utility green power programs may be accredited by the Center for Resource Solutions, the same organization that certifies for Green-e. Green power program accreditation also requires an audit to verify that supply and demand are balanced over a year.
NEXT:
Aggregating Customers to Buy Green Power
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