Net zero and greenwashing electricity Helm Talks - energy climate infrastructure & more

It's about time the government and the regulators took a good hard look at so-called green and renewables-only electricity contracts. Consumers – you and I – might want to do the right thing, and buy only low-carbon electricity so we reduce our carbon footprint. But none of us – unless we really are off grid and use no diesel or gas back-ups – actually consumes only renewable energy. Why? Because what comes through the wires is a mix of gas-, nuclear- and coal-generated electricity and wind- and solar-generated electricity. There are no specific separate green-only transmission and distribution wires.

"Green" contracts are, at best, from suppliers who buy their electricity to put into the system only from renewable electricity generators. At worst, they are just a bundle of financial contracts. So you are paying a premium to renewables generators – an extra subsidy. Nevertheless, you might think you're making a difference by doing this. But does even more subsidy make a difference to how much renewable electricity is on the system. Not really, because the government decides how much renewables there will be and how much all of us will pay for it. If you really want to pay more to help get to net zero, there are much better, and greener, things you could spend your money on.