Tim, I am exploring the same questions right now. From what I understand, one advantage to companies like Native Energy is that you are helping individuals and communities that would like to use renewables but would otherwise not be able to. Without the help from Native Energy, the individuals and communities would have no choice but to use fossil fuels because the start-up cost is so high. However, with the extra funding, these groups can now build wind turbines that will benefit them as well as everyone else. In my opinion, it allows a more bottom up, grassroots movement.
I would love to hear what others think. Thanks, Ariana On 2/19/07, Tim Nuttle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I have two questions about carbon offsetting (aka, green tags, renewable > energy credits, tradeable renewable certificates), where you pay a > company some amount of money so they can price wind or other sustainable > electricity generation the same as conventional (usually coal) > electricity. The idea is that by allowing them to price this electricity > cheaper, more of it goes onto the grid, displacing coal-generated > electricity, thereby allowing you to deduct the offset amount from your > personal carbon footprint. > > First question: > Why is wind energy more expensive than coal energy? Is it just initial > investment in building wind farms? Is it because of archaic subsidies? > > Second question: > If the money goes to investing in building new wind farms (as claimed on > NativeEnergy.com), why not just buy stock in the sustainable energy > companies instead? Or in a clean energy exchange-traded fund (ETF)? I > have an aversion to just giving for-profit companies money. It seems to > me that it would make more sense to invest in the companies, not just > give them gifts, even if the investment doesn't make a return (in which > case it would be effectively giving them a gift, I guess). > > I've poured over several web sites, including the Wikipedia article on > "green tags", NativeEnergy.com, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation > <http://www.b-e-f.org>, apparently the only non-profit to offer > renewable energy credits. None of these really addressed my questions. > > Thanks, > Tim > > -- > --------------------------------- > Tim Nuttle, PhD > Research Assistant Professor > Department of Biological Sciences > University of Pittsburgh > A234 Langley Hall > 4249 Fifth Avenue > Pittsburgh, PA 15260 > USA > --------------------------------- >
