Last week I came across a news blurb about the German electricity tax rising 50% to support renewable energy. It's a green bump to the average cost of electricity. The cost to a family of four is about $324.00 (U.S dollars) annually.
The customer base, essentially, subsidizes green energy. Green energy providers (hydro, biomass, wind, solar, and methane gas systems) grab an above-market rate for their electrical output in an effort to ensure their investment will be profitable.
The whole point of this renewable energy surcharge is to conserve fossil fuels and promote further development of renewable resources. The German Renewable Energy Sources Act (2000) aims to increase the share of renewable energy available as part of their national energy mix. And they attach numeric goals to the task: 35% of electricity production from renewable sources by 2020; 50% by 2030; and 80% by 2050.
As a result Germany leads the continent in solar development, and they generate a surplus amounts of wind energy. Nuclear and coal-fired generation serve up smaller and smaller pieces of the pie.
It's no surprise to me that dedicated money along with a healthy set of measurable green energy goals has proven to be effective. But in the face of economic indicators that smack of a double dip recession I was expecting some, arguably well-deserved, consumer push back.
But that's the gotcha data-set.
On Sunday Focus, a German news magazine, published their survey findings that despite the rise in their electricity bills 72% of people continue to support the country's switch to green energy.
The data indicates that even with a blow to a person's pocket book, the resolve to support greener energy options remains strong. And I thought...well...now we're talkin'.
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2 comments:
I'd be happy to even start with a voluntary surcharge to show how many people would support such a concept... and start pushing the long-term economic benefits, for those who might be swayed fiscally rather than ecologically ...
becki
You and me both, sistah!
Actually, the voluntary surcharge was how LES built the two local wind turbines.
It's also interesting to note that earlier this year there was a poll by Gallup organization that found 95% of global respondents wanted more renewable energies in the mix. 49% of those people were willing to pay more for the greener option.
Also a there was some data I posted earlier this year indicating the amount the average American was willing to pay for green options. It was somewhere around $162/yr which is about 1/2 the German tax.
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