When you sign up for green energy, your energy supply is no different to anyone else's energy. It is impossible to separate all the energy sources from the grid. How you get to be green is that your contribution goes to the development and maintenance of green energy programs.
Energy is purchased through a government agency, GreenPower, in all states of Australia. More than 25,000 businesses and 170,000 households around Australia purchase GreenPower Accredited renewable energy. It's GreenPower who guarantee through stringent audit that the renewable energy you think you are buying is the real deal.
WHEN YOU PURCHASE GREENPOWER ACCREDITED RENEWABLE ENERGY, THE EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF NEW RENEWABLE ENERGY IS ADDED TO THE ELECTRICITY GRID ON YOUR BEHALF EVERY YEAR.
YOU PURCHASE THE RIGHT TO THAT AMOUNT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY; AND GREENPOWER ENSURES THAT YOUR RENEWABLE ENERGY ISN'T USED BY SOMEONE ELSE AS WELL. THIS MEANS YOU ARE HELPING TO REDUCE AUSTRALIA'S OVERALL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WITH YOUR PURCHASE.
According to GreenPower, since 2011, almost $500 million has been invested back to renewable energy generators through GreenPower purchases. Over the last 15 years, the Program has achieved over 19 million megawatt hours of voluntary renewable energy purchases; more than 16 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions offset with renewable electricity; and over 6 million cars equivalent taken off the road for a full year.
Green energy comes from renewable energy technologies such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass and hydroelectric power.