VOLUNTEER TO PAY MORE FOR NEW ENERGY?

The Bush administration is big on solving all of America’s problems with voluntary programs. NewEnergyNews is NOT. This typical program is designed to fail. It will put way too much burden on already overburdened consumers while allowing the utility – which should be taking more responsibility – to claim it has tried a program but people “just don’t want to pay for renewables.” Programs like these around the country typically draw around 5% customer participation.

There are plenty of ways economic incentives can be created to benefit utilities and their customers. This is greenwashing for utilities. NewEnergyNews can only look forward to the day when these folks see what the cost of their emissions really is.

Ameren Unveils Voluntary Renewable Energy Program
Jim Salter, October 1, 2007 (AP via Yahoo Finance)

WHO
AmerenUE

WHAT
Pure Power, a program from utility AmerenUE that allows customers to pay 1.5c/kilowatt hour extra for electricity, usually about $15/month, to fund renewable energy development by the utility.

Utilities all over the country are putting programs like this in place but often ignoring efficiency programs and looking for more coal.

WHEN
Pure Power was launched October 1 at a formal ceremony featuring a truck hauling a wind turbine tower.

WHERE
Ameren serves 1.2 million customers in Missouri.

WHY
- Note the first 2 stipulations mentioned in the article: (1) Pure Power is open to any customer, “big or small.” (2) The customer and drop out “at any time.” In other words, try it; when you realize the utility has shifted an undue burden to you, drop out. Then the company can say it tried but you didn’t really want renewable energy.
Monsanto is one of the 1st Ameren customers to sign up for Pure Power. Monsanto’s electricity bills, of course, are business expenses. (Deductible.)
- Ameren claims to have pledged $13 million/year toward renewables. That is called reinvestment. And with Pure Power, of course, its customers would cover more than that in a month if they all signed up.

The country's top ten utility programs.

QUOTES
- Richard Mark, VP, Ameren: “We want to give all our customers not only a range of opportunities to save energy but also ways to support renewable energy -- the wave of the future for this planet…"
- Amy Johnston, parent and Ameren customer: "I care about the environment…I look at my children and I look toward their future. This is one way I can make a difference in their lives, maybe not now, but in the future."
- George Osman, director of facilities, Monsanto: "As a company 100 percent focused on agriculture, a strong environment is essential to our business success and our mission of making farmers more productive and more efficient…"