http://junkscience.com/2012/02/05/pay-extra-for-green-electricity-very-few-do/

Pay extra for “green” electricity? Very few do

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Editor | Leave a comment

As Tom Nelson puts it: “Massachusetts residents believe so deeply in the global warming hoax that only 199 of every 200 failed to enroll in heavily-promoted “green energy” program”

They are trying to pitch paying unnecessarily high prices for equivalent product as a “social good”, which of course it most definitely is not. Elitists might pay extra for the warm and fuzzy feeling of superiority it gives them but such spending does not provide gainful employment, taxes or royalties for society – it isn’t a “social good”, just eco-snobbery. Worse, it’s a form of snobbery that deprives the community of the opportunity to put those taxes to good use and increases the general cost of services for all.

GreenUp faces uphill battle
Clean energy program has higher costs per kwh
By Susan Spencer TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

How much more would you pay for electricity that comes from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydropower and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere?

For almost a decade, Massachusetts electric utilities have offered programs like National Grid’s GreenUp, which let customers choose clean energy sources for their power supply, for a premium. But even after including inserts in bills, sending online newsletters, hosting booths at events and posting on Facebook to promote the options, there are few takers.

Only about 6,000 of National Grid’s 1.2 million Massachusetts customers, or less than half of one percent, have enrolled in GreenUp, according to spokeswoman Deborah Drew.

GreenUp offers supplier options that purchase energy from wind farms, solar generators, hydroelectric and biomass sources. The extra cost for getting all your electricity from renewable sources range from 2.4 cents to 3.8 cents per kilowatt hour, or roughly $12 to $19 a month for an average household that uses 500 kilowatt hours. Customers can also select a portion of their energy to be renewable.

This price difference, with currently cheaper fossil fuel, is a large hurdle to overcome.

The benefits of using renewable energy sources instead of burning fossil fuels like coal include cleaner air and water, and producing fewer heat-trapping gases that contribute to climate change. The premium customers pay for renewable electricity sources are actually renewable energy credits that support the development of clean energy so that it will eventually be more available and less expensive for everyone.

The problem, according to clean energy advocates like Joel J. Fontane Jr., Worcester’s director of planning and regulatory services, who chairs the Worcester Energy Task Force and heads up sustainability initiatives for the city, is it’s hard to sell a more expensive version of a product — electricity — that looks the same from the user’s perspective. The lights work or they don’t, no matter where the electricity comes from.