by Avery Yale Kamila
Published in SOSUpdate
(February 2003) Advanced Energy and the North Carolina’s electric utilities
filed a revised NC GreenPower plan with the Utilities Commission in November.
Under the new plan, the utilities would offer two different green power products.
The first product would be marketed to residential consumers and would cost $4 for 1
00 kWh. The power purchased under this plan would be generated by solar, wind and
methane from biomass. This product has been accredited by the Center for Resource
Solutions (CRS), a green power accreditation organization based in San Francisco.
The second product would be available to large volume users willing to purchase at
least 10,000 kWh per month at a cost of $2.50 for 100 kWh. The power purchased under
this plan would come from solar, wind, small hydro, biomass methane and the direct
burn of biomass. This product did not meet CRS’s accreditation criteria due to the
inclusion of small hydro and incineration, so Advanced Energy will seek certification
from the Environmental Resources Trust instead.
The Utilities Commission took comments on the revised proposal until December
31, 2002 and plans to issue a ruling by the end of January (after this issue of SOS
Update has gone to press).
"It is likely that the Commission will approve the program, possibly with minor
modifications based on the comments received," reports Sam Watson, Staff Attorney for
the Utilities Commission.
Speaking about the residential product, Michael Shore of Environmental Defense
says, "We want the citizens of North Carolina to understand that this is something
worthwhile that they should sign up for." Despite Environmental Defense’s support
for the residential product, they are opposed to the large volume product because
it will allow the direct burn of wood debris and chicken litter. They are not
alone in their criticism.
"NC GreenPower’s large-volume product devotes the lion’s share of the program’s
funding to promote existing and new technologies that can scarcely be described as
green, such as uncertified dams and incinerators, while limiting funding for solar
and wind to an anemic 4 percent," says Scott Gollwitzer, Staff Attorney and
Clean Air Campaign Coordinator for Appalachian Voices.
Alex Hobbs, Interim Director of the Solar Center, has another perspective.
"Anytime you can replace fossil fuel with renewable energy we’re for it. Solar and
wind are today’s energy. Biomass is yesterday’s energy. Both are better than using
energy from a million year’s ago, such as petroleum and coal."
Large volume power users who want to promote their use of certified green power may
purchase the residential product at the $4 per 100 kWh rate. This would also allow
industrial customers to use CSR’s certified green power marketing logo.
Assuming the plan is approved by the Utilities Commission, the next six months will
be devoted to marketing the NC GreenPower program and working out the program’s logistics.
Consumers could then purchase green power by late summer.
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