LADWP’s Green Power Program Offers Customers the Ability to Become Independent of Coal and Oil Energy Sources
While Googling another topic, I stumbled upon a link today in the LA Department of Water and Power’s website that allows customers to switch over to green power. There are a few conditions that some would see as “downsides”: a commitment of 12 months, a minimum switch of 20% of your electric to green power and an increase of about $3 $0.03 per kilowatt hour. These conditions seem minimal and worth every penny for the opportunity to switch from dependence on coal and oil to alternatives like solar and wind.
The 12 month commitment encourages our power companies to continue to use these sources of energy. I enthusiastically switched over today to 100% green power, so the 20% minimum certainly doesn’t sounds unreasonable to me. As for the additional cost, even if it means that I’m paying an extra $50 every two months (I have no idea how much it will be, I’ll let you know when I get my first bill), it’s COMPLETELY worth it to me. Plus, LADWP indicates that some of the costs may be offset by some free products and services that they offer. It’s time for all of us to make changes and we need to show the power companies that we want it and will support their efforts to provide it.
I live in a one bedroom rented house. I would LOVE to get solar panels, but it just doesn’t make sense on a tiny rental property that we know we will outgrow in the next couple of years. I really thought that I would have to live without green power until we purchased a home. I am so excited to be a part of a program that provides this to me, and if you consider the cost of solar panels, I will be paying less for the ability to use green power than I would for the monthly charges to have solar panels installed on our home. Sure, I won’t be able to be completely independent of the power companies in a few years like I would if I owned solar panels, but that’s a goal for me when we get to a more permanent location.
Here’s the information about the program directly from the LADWP website:
Green Power for a Green LA Program
Green Power is electricity produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Sources of green power include the sun, wind, and water, which are pollution free and natural. Renewable electricity technologies are among the cleanest and have the least impact on the environment. Find out more about the sources of green power here.
The Green Power for a Green LA Program gives us all the opportunity to support cleaner energy resources for Los Angeles. By signing up, you can actually help bring more renewable power to LA - electricity that is cleaner than fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Green Power means cleaner air and a greener Los Angeles for us and for our children.
The price for new green power is slightly higher than power generated from conventional sources such as coal and oil. LADWP’s residential Green Power Program enables you to support renewable energy by paying a small premium on your bill. The extra cost is currently 3 cents per kilowatt hour, which is applied only to that portion of renewable energy that is chosen. The minimum contribution percentage for residential or small non-residential customers is 20%, but up to 100% may be elected. This extra cost may be offset by free energy efficiency products and services provided by LADWP.
Want to sign up? Click here to register for the program.
I’d love to know what everyone else is doing. How do you get power for your home or business? Does your power company offer this in your area?
7 responses so far ↓
1 Susie // Oct 9, 2008 at 11:13 am
This is a great program! I’m in awe of your commitment to go green, Meredith, and your persistence in finding ways to get you there. You’re a role model- -you practice what you preach and that gets a lot of respect from me. It’s true, we are each going to have to make some sacrifices during this “bridge” time as we wean off fossil fuels and fully embrace TRUE green energy. Our island of Hawaii could be fully energy self sufficient with green energy (sun, wind, geothermal) if we could just break the monopoly that the power company has all locked up (for now). Meanwhile the bridge energy now being promoted is biomass, which is NOT clean and green no matter what the forestry industry says! Anyway, that’s the drama in my neck of the woods. Keep up the good work in yours!
2 JuneM // Oct 9, 2008 at 11:14 am
Great article and way to go being green now if other areas would offer that option, the more that opt in the lower the price should be right?
3 Annie // Oct 9, 2008 at 11:17 am
I did this and they sent me cfl bulbs, aerators for my faucets and a thank you note. Such an easy way to go green!
4 Kyle // Oct 9, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Not to nitpick or anything, but you mean $.03/kWh right?
5 meredith // Oct 10, 2008 at 10:24 am
Thanks for catching that, Kyle! Yes, you’re right, it’s $0.03/kWh. I’ve corrected it now!
6 meredith // Oct 10, 2008 at 10:26 am
Thanks, Susie! I hope that we start to see this kind of program everywhere. California needs it so badly that I’m hoping they will soon make it available without a difference in price. Unless you work for coal or oil I can’t imagine anyone refusing to switch if it was the same price!
Let’s hope HI comes up with this soon. I know at least on Maui there are wind turbines so hopefully they’ll start to make this available there.
7 meredith // Oct 10, 2008 at 10:27 am
June - Definitely, the more that do it the cheaper it should become, so we play a big role in this!
Annie - looking forward to getting some of these things, sounds fantastic! Have some already but there’s always more things I can do!
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