It's hot. And your electric bills are going up. In the summer, electric companies advertise lots of renewable energy, from wind and solar, that can come at a premium. And that got Verify viewer, Jule Perry wondering this:
"Can the source of my electric power be identified at the point of consumption?”
Let's take a swing at it, Jule. Is the renewable energy you buy actually delivered to you?
The State of Texas regulates electric power, so I'll be looking at their information. And I'm talking to Dr. Fred Beach, an energy expert at the University of Texas - Austin.
“Are consumers getting solar energy when they pay for solar energy?” I asked Dr. Beach.
“Technically no. Technically, they are causing solar energy to be bought. To be purchased in the retail grid, or the wholesale grid. But odds are, none of those electrons that come from that solar farm, somewhere, ever reach their home,” Beach said.
Here's why. Think of electric grid, like a smoothie. After you add in the ingredients: wind, solar, gas and coal what gets delivered to the customer is a blend of them all. Dr. Beach says, when electric providers sell you a renewable product, they add to that blend with a little wind or solar.
The Public Utilities Commission has a rule, called the renewable energy tariff. It regulates how companies must act and what to disclose when offering these plans.
For example, this product says it’s comprised of 51% Texas Wind and 49% Wind Outside Texas.
“It's being produced on your behalf. Whether that electron goes into the grid is a moot point. It goes into the grid to offset what you've taken from the grid,” Beach said.
So, technically the answer is no. Renewable energy electrons are likely not making their way into your house.
But when you buy a renewable energy plan, under the law, electric generators end up making renewable energy and putting it into the system.