What
is Green Power?
Over
70% of our nation's electricity comes from
the burning of fossil fuels, which generates
greenhouse gases and pollutes our air and
land. Green Power is electricity generated
from clean, renewable sources of energy
like wind, solar, and geothermal power.
What is the Duke Green
Power Challenge?
The
University and Environmental Alliance are
challenging every member of the Duke community
to upgrade their energy source to green
power. To encourage students, faculty and
staff to take responsibility for the environmental
impact of their electricity, the University
is going to match every person that
signs up, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000!
If we succeed in meeting that challenge,
we will be offsetting about 4 million pounds
of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent
to *not* driving 5,000,000 miles in the
average car.
Who can join the Duke Green
Power Challenge?
Students,
staff, faculty, and alumni. It was very
important to President Keohane that the
Challenge involve the whole Duke community:
"This exciting and unique program challenges
everyone in the University community to
take responsibility for the environmental
impact of their electricity. Choosing green
power is the natural next step to meeting
today's energy needs."
How does it work?
When
you flip on a light in your house, dorm
or office, you drain electricity out of
the national power grid, which then has
to be filled back up. Right now, it gets
filled back up largely with electricity
generated from burning fossil fuels because
those are the cheapest. (National averages
are 70% coal and gas, 22% nuclear, 7% hydro
and only 1% renewables!) While fossil fuels
are the cheapest, they are not the best
for our environment and our future.
The
good news is that you now have a choice
as to how your energy is produced. By signing
up for the Duke Green Power Challenge, you
will be ensuring that when you drain electricity
off the grid, the grid gets filled
back up with energy generated by a green
power source. This does not mean the electrons
from the wind farm are going to find their
way across the grid to your home, dorm room
or office. What it does mean is that rather
than having the grid filled back up with
coal power, for example, it gets filled
back up with a specific amount of green
power.
Why
does Green Power cost more?
Right
now, it costs a little more to produce a
kilowatt of electricty from a green power
source than from traditional sources like
coal and gas. Traditional sources are heavily
subsidized but green power is not. Your
choice to pay more levels the playing field
and makes wind power competitive with coal.
What you are doing when you sign up is saying,
"Hey, I value having clean energy and
clean air and I'm willing to pay the difference
between the cost of green power and traditional
power." For the entire year, that difference
is only $50!
So where does my money
go?
This
money goes to wind and solar farms to cover
the additional cost of producing energy
from green sources versus traditional sources.
This transaction is facilitated by Renewable
Choice Energy, a Green-e
certified renewable energy provider.
Can I sign up if I don't
live on campus?
Yes.
Anywhere you live in the US, you are constantly
draining electricity out of the national
power grid. Unless you sign up for green
power, the grid gets filled back up with
whatever is cheapest rather than what is
best for our environment and future.
Who is Duke Environmental
Alliance?
Environmental
Alliance is a student organization committed
to promoting the implementation of sustainable
practices at Duke University. By educating,
organizing and advocating, we strive to
make Duke University a model campus for
environmental stewardship.
Does purchasing green
power affect my utility company bill?
No,
the purchase of green power does not change
the bill you receive from your utility.
You will have a separate relationship with
Renewable Choice Energy and your utility.
Renewable Choice Energy deals directly with
wind energy producers to ensure that your
purchase results in more wind power being
added to the grid.
