Proposed “Green Tariff” Is Green Washing

Analysts say Duke Energy’s proposed “Green Tariff” program could fool customers into paying extra for their power, without actually providing any environmental benefit.

Duke originally designed the program, named the “Green Source Advantage Choice,” to allow industrial, corporate, and residential customers to voluntarily pay an extra fee to subsidize the quicker addition of clean energy to Duke’s energy sources. Under its current rules, that “additionality” component is required.

But Duke’s proposed revised program, now under review by the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC), changes that. “If it goes through as currently proposed,” said Ethan Blumenthal, regulatory counsel at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, “those who participate in the program would help subsidize the transition to renewables, but not expedite the transition.” As a result, some institutions–like Duke University–say they won’t renew participation in the program as currently proposed. Additionally, Google and the Department of Defense have also flagged the change as a problem.

Residential Customers

That’s bad enough. At least major institutional and corporate customers research and recognize the difference between meaningful action and a clean energy scam. Businesses and institutions recognize the difference because they can dedicate their resources to the research. But interested residential customers don’t always have those resources. The NC Attorney General’s office criticized the potential for that residential program (“Clean Energy Impact”) to mislead customers. “The programs have the potential to mislead customers while not meaningfully supporting the adoption of clean energy,” the office wrote. 

The NCUC needs to decline approval of this clean energy scam, and require Duke Energy to maintain a program that actually speeds transition to clean, renewable energy in North Carolina. Read more about Duke Energy dealings here.