GreenPower
What is 'green' energy?
Electricity can be sourced from environmentally friendly renewable resources such as the sun, wind, landfills and biogas. This can then be distributed through the national electricity network.
Electricity sourced from renewable resources referred to as 'green' energy or 'renewable' energy helps reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions released into the atmosphere by electricity use.
GreenPower
GreenPower is a national accreditation program started and managed by the NSW Government. The program is dedicated to driving investment in renewable energy in Australia and increasing the sustainability of our electricity supply.
GreenPower is renewable energy produced from clean renewable sources. When customers choose a government-accredited GreenPower product, their energy supplier commits to buying the requested amount of electricity from approved new renewable energy sources.
GreenPower electricity provider sales and purchases are independently audited on an annual basis.
GreenPower accreditation gives consumers assurance that the renewable energy they purchased will decrease greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation and actively contribute to the development of a renewable energy industry in Australia. GreenPower-approved generators comply with stringent environmental standards.
As a voluntary program, GreenPower now boasts around 970,000 residential and business customers, 198 solar, wind, wave, micro-hydro and biomass generators, and 28 retail partners around Australia.
How much does it cost?
The cost depends on how much GreenPower a consumer chooses to purchase. Energy retailers offer a range of GreenPower options depending on the consumer's budget.
Some electricity companies offer 10 per cent GreenPower for no additional cost. In the main, GreenPower starts from around $1 a week for 10 per cent GreenPower, and ranges up to around $5 a week for 100 per cent GreenPower.
Once you have chosen how much GreenPower you want to purchase each week, the retailer will match this amount from accredited renewable sources.
Who's doing it?
The number of NSW businesses and households choosing to obtain their electricity from renewable energy sources continues to rise.
As at June 2009, around 970,000 residential and business customers in Australia were purchasing government-accredited GreenPower - that's an increase of around 25 per cent over the previous twelve months.
For more information, go to www.greenpower.nsw.gov.au or contact your energy supplier.