Climate-friendly power

Consumer choice probably isn't what comes to mind when you think about electricity coming into your house or work, but these days it should! The grid is one-size-fits all: electricity works the same whether it comes from organically sourced methane or strip-mined coal. What does matter is that, unless directed otherwise, regulated utilities often provide energy from the cheapest available option with which they're familiar. The deck can also be stacked against promising clean technologies like solar and wind and in favor of carbon-intense coal plants if the true cost of their impacts isn't taken into account.

However, there are some utilities that will sell you climate-friendly electricity like wind, biomass solar, or even landfill gas, if you ask for it. Green power can be less, the same, or a little more expensive. But regardless, it plays an important role in today's energy economy: when combined with improving energy efficiency in your home, you can lower your electricity bills and CO2 impact.

The simplest scenario for buying green power is to check and see what your local utility offers. Or, if you're in a deregulated state in which you can choose your power company, check and see what the competition is offering as well. Some companies offer to purchase electricity from renewable sources to meet all of your power demands; others provide packages in which some of your power will be sourced from particular kinds of renewable energy like wind or solar. More than 750 utilities in 37 states offer green power products and they try to make it simple to sign up. To find out what your options are, see the US Department of Energy map.

If your local utility isn't offering green power right now, make sure to write to them, their regulator (e.g. the state utility commission), and your hometown newspaper to say you want your power to come from renewables.