Austin Energy's GreenChoice Program - It's Back!

After being closed to new subscribers for a period of time, Austin Energy's GreenChoice program is extending its green arms for Austinites far and wide. Claiming to be the nation's most successful utility-sponsored green power program, GreenChoice is an opportunity to walk the sustainability talk.

In a world of anonymous carbon offsetting claims, Austin Energy's green power flows into Austin from wind turbines in McCarney and Sweetwater, Texas in addition to receiving electricity from several solar installations and three landfill gas projects in Austin and San Antonio.

So how does it work? By subscribing to the program, you will receive a charge of 5.5 cents per kWh which is fixed until December 31, 2022 (compared to the fuel charge of 3.65 cents per kWh). In short, the average residential customer consuming about 1,000 kWh per month wil pay about $18.50 more per month for GreenChoice power. But before you get in a monetary tizzy, take a moment to look at the bigger green picture.

As natural gas and fossil fuel prices continue to rise, an investment in GreenChoice decreases our reliance on these sources and will decrease air pollution. Here is the caveat, when you sign up, this does not necessarily mean your individual home or business specifically receives the renewable energy. It is a tried and true community model based on giving to get. According to Austin Energy:

When you subscribe to GreenChoice, Austin Energy contracts for green power to meet your needs. Green power then is delivered to our electric system daily. This means less electricity is needed from natural gas or coal-fired power plants. The green power reaches Austin over the statewide transmission system. Once it enters our system, it mixes with power from the generating plants. This means the electricity generated from "green" sources is not be directed to a specific home or business. Rather, as more customers subscribe to GreenChoice, the proportion of green power in that mix grows larger and larger.

So do your part today and subscribe at Austin Energy or call (512) 972-7548 while there is not a waiting list.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By paigedd in News on January 15, 2008 9:50 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

heyzeus

Re: Solar...wait til Heliovolt and the thin-film photovoltaics hit the market. Perfect chance to incorporate solar into the urban environment. The solar cells can be embedded into building materials, and (allegedly) will cost much less than current silicon-based panels.

mdahmus

Tarvin, that's why I tied it in my examples to places where shade creates additional public and private benefits. Solar by itself is still too expensive, except in certain peak situations (hottest day on the summer and you have to buy additional electricity on the spot market); but if you're also shading something which costs you a lot of money to cool, or you're providing covered parking to your tenants...

Tarvin

Solar. Costs too much, does too little.

mdahmus

This program kind of sets off my greenwashing alarm. They're buying wind power which largely runs at night - and you're paying for whatever they have to pay to do that - even if you use most of your power during the day (like most people do).

It'd be one thing if we had electric cars charging overnight, of course.

The remainder of their green power is almost all methane burning - which is 'renewable' but not remotely in the same green ballpark. They hardly have any solar at all, of course.

If I were czar, I'd tell AE to not buy another watt of wind or methane until they put solar panels on top of that huge ugly chiller they built downtown, the very first day. Would make those particular watts of solar, at least, a lot cheaper, if you accounted for the savings on the chillers not having to work so hard. Or get the city and the relevant building owners to cooperate financially to start putting solar panels on top of the top levels of parking garages downtown.

Elizabeth S.

And if you move within Austin, you still stay subscribed to the GreenChoice program! I was so happy after my move to get a postcard telling me that I was still in the program (this is while it was closed to new subscribers).

Worth emphasis: the fuel charge for regular customers could quickly increase and it may end up being a better deal for you environmentally and fund-wise to be on GreenChoice. The rate you sign up for is a fixed rate, and won't increase (for a while) as fuel rates continue to go up.