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Green Power FAQ
- What is Green Power?
- How much does Green Power cost?
- How does Green Power benefit the environment?
- Why does Green Power cost more?
- Where are Green Power renewable resources located?
- How much electricity will Green Power produce?
- How many consumers will Green Power serve?
- Which public power companies are participating in Green Power Switch?
- Want more information on Green Power?
What is Green Power?
Green Power Switch is a renewable energy initiative that offers
consumers in the Tennessee Valley a choice in the type of power they buy.
TVA and local public power companies, working in cooperation with the
environmental community, developed Green Power Switch as a way to bring
green power- electricity that's generated by cleaner renewable resources-to
Valley consumers. Eleven public power companies in the TVA service area will
sell energy generated by solar, wind, and landfill gas resources during a
year-long market test beginning in April of 2000. TVA expects Green Power
Switch to grow throughout 2001 and 2002 with Valley-wide implementation by 2003.
How much does Green Power cost?
Green Power will be sold to residential consumers in 150-kilowatt-hour
blocks (about 12 percent of a typical household's monthly energy use). Each
block will add an additional $4 to the customer's monthly power bill. Consumers
can buy as many blocks as they like. In other parts of the country, residential
consumers who participate in green power programs pay an extra $2 to $10 per
month for green power. Green Power is also being marketed to commercial and
industrial consumers who will be asked to buy blocks based on the amount of
energy they use.
How does Green Power benefit the environment?
The environmental impacts of traditional energy sources like coal,
natural gas, oil, and nuclear power can be significant. Although no source of
energy is impact-free, renewable resources create less waste and pollution. In
fact, an investment of an additional $8 per month on your power bill buys
enough Green Power to equal the environmental benefits of planting an acre
of trees in the Tennessee Valley.
Why does Green Power cost more?
While renewable resources like sunlight may be free, the technology
used to capture the energy they produce is still more expensive than traditional
power generation methods. But increased demand may lead to expanded power
production capacity and eventually to lower costs.
Where are Green Power renewable resources
located?
Three wind-powered turbines are located on Buffalo Mountain in
Anderson County, Tennessee. Solar generation sites are located in the service
areas of participating power companies, and negotiations are currently in
progress with developers for landfill gas generation sites.
How much electricity will Green Power produce?
Approximately eight megawatts of green power will be generated
for the market test. Physical laws determine where electricity is ultimately used,
so power from these cleaner sources will go into TVA's electric system as part of
the Valley's total power mix, rather than to individual homes or businesses. When
the green power resources aren't operating- for instance, when wind speeds are
too low to generate energy-TVA's other resources will continue to supply reliable
electricity.
How many consumers will Green Power serve?
Green Power Switch can provide enough electricity to supply
150-kilowatt hours a month for about 30,000 Tennessee Valley homes, plus an ample
supply of energy for participating businesses and industries.
Which public power companies are
participating in Green Power Switch?
To date, participants in the market test are: Chattanooga Electric
Power Board, Gibson Electric Membership Corporation, Knoxville Utilities Board,
Nashville Electric Service, Newport Utilities Board, Powell Valley Electric
Cooperative, and Sevier County Electric System in Tennessee; City of Oxford
Electric Department and North East Mississippi Electric Power Association in
Mississippi; Bowling Green Municipal Utilities in Kentucky; and Huntsville
Utilities in Alabama.
Want more information on Green Power?
The U.S. Department
of Energy Green Power Network
TVA Green Power Switch
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