Green Power Costs Contributing to Utility Shut Offs?
It is strange to be reading so many stories about premium-priced green power programs and net metering programs for excess power right alongside stories about utilities performing record numbers of shut-offs for non-payment.
While the latter stories seem to indicate that the economic crunch has stymied energy and environment policy reform in a tangible way, the former show that there is still a disconnect between the green power evangelists – who want to move the ball forward at warp speed, economy-be-darned — and, the general public — who might spend the extra $5 or $10 a month for green power, but NOT when they can’t make ends meet paying for dirty power.
The disconnect is emblematic of why Waxman-Markey had so much trouble and why the Senate is unlikely to pass anything at all this year: green power is still a marginalized issue. Some of it is political. Some of it is red state/blue state subtext (i.e, green = granola). But, some of it is valid criticism based on what have been - to date - some poorly designed green power policies.
Policymakers, utilities, consumers and green advocates should continue to push for broader integration of renewable energy through portfolio standard hikes, green power purchase options, feed-in tariffs and net metering. Utilities and state agencies do have money for both low-income and other arrears forgiveness programs, and green power incentives; but, the dollars are not fungible — some percentage of increase in green power subsidy cannot help but impact the bottom line on other programs.
In the future, we need to craft policies that are more careful not to shift too much cost to the larger ratepayer base. Failing that, some of the skepticism that green power already faces from the general public might morph into outright resentment.
And, as we’ve seen in the health care town hall debacles, resentment plays.
Flickr photo by photonburst
