Renewable power gets more nods

Courier Mail
Monday 13/8/2007 Page: 11

QUARTERLY sales figures for green power show ordinary Australians are voting with their wallets to pay for clean electricity. In the past year, green power sales had grown 47 per cent, said Australian Conservation Foundation climate change campaigner Tony Mohr. In Queensland, the number of green power customers had gone up 40 per cent in 12 months. "At the same time both major parties have failed to expand Australia's paltry 2 per cent renewable energy target," Mr Mohr said.

When people choose accredited green power, their energy retailer is obliged to source the equivalent amount of electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar. The figures show 565,977 ordinary Australians are buying green power - collectively preventing almost 4.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions entering the atmosphere annually.