What is the GreenPower Program?
The GreenPower program was launched in 1997 after considerable consultation with the energy industry and various non-government organisations including the Australian Consumers Association (now Choice), Greenpeace, the Australian Conservation Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature.
AIMS OF THE PROGRAM
Facilitate the installation of new renewable energy generators across Australia beyond mandatory requirements.
» Encourage growth in consumer demand for renewable energy.
» Provide consumer choice for, and increase consumer confidence in, credible renewable energy products.
» Increase consumer awareness of renewable energy and greenhouse issues.
» Decrease greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation.
By purchasing GreenPower, households and businesses commit their retailers to purchasing the equivalent amount of electricity from accredited renewable energy generators, which generate electricity from sources like wind, solar, water and bioenergy.
Since 2009, more than 500 million* has been invested back to generators through GreenPower purchases.
*www.greenpower.gov.au
GreenPower 100
WHO CAN CREATE AN ACCOUNT?
As part of Enova Energy plans, we offer you the option you to choose to add on GreenPower 100 for an additional 4.18 cents per kWh ( inc GST ).
Full Price Fact Sheets available here
How Does GreenPower Work?
Over time as more and more people buy GreenPower more renewable generators will be built and come on line. It is important to understand that GreenPower is “additional” to or outside of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), so when you buy GreenPower you are not simply helping the retailers to meet their RET obligations; all GreenPower sales volumes are over and above the RET.
It is important to support GreenPower to ensure more is done in the way of renewable energy generation. The RET is legislated and will happen regardless of what individuals do, as the retailers have to invest in renewable electricity to meet the mandated target. As individuals if we want to support renewable energy, we should want our efforts to be additional to the RET. The program also ensures there is no double counting of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from renewable generators. The retailer can either surrender the REC (LGC) to the regulator to help them meet their RET obligations or surrender eligible RECs as GreenPower. They cannot do both. The GreenPower Program also has publicly available independent auditing of retailers’ GreenPower sales and surrenders each year. So you can have confidence when you buy GreenPower that you are getting what you paid for; you know your money is being invested back into the renewable energy sector, and that it is over and above the RET.
Is all renewable energy accredited GreenPower?
No.
The GreenPower program is particular about what meets its standards. The GreenPower accreditation process has several criteria when assessing if a generator is suitable to be able use the GreenPower brand and that is eligible to be sold as GreenPower.
For example, only renewable energy that comes from a generator built after 1997 is acceptable because the program is about building new renewable generation, so electricity from an old hydro scheme like the Snowy Mountains cannot be accredited, nor would renewable energy generated from burning wood waste from native or old growth forests.
Why choose GreenPower?
By purchasing GreenPower you can be sure you are displacing your electricity usage with certified renewable energy that has zero net emissions. As well as reducing your impact on the environment, by becoming part of the GreenPower community, customers like you are helping to support Australia’s renewable energy sector.
That’s because the bulk of the premiums you pay for GreenPower go directly back to the GreenPower certified electricity generators. Since the program started in 1997, GreenPower customers have been responsible for investing more than $1 billion* back into Australia’s renewable energy industry.
This also helps to create jobs and support the businesses that supply services to these generators. Currently around 90% of the electricity used in Australia is generated from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal.
However, by purchasing GreenPower businesses and households have reduced the emissions caused by electricity generation in Australia by 18 million tonnes and created 325 jobs across the renewables sector.*
Importantly, this renewable energy is additional to the amount of renewable energy already in the grid as mandated by government requirements – such as the Australian Renewable Energy Target (RET).
*www.greenpower.gov.au
