CEO Note - Like it or not, 'green' is apt to remain a popular color

Members and Tipmont interested in renewable energy

Over the past few years there has been a lot of interest on behalf of the membership in renewable energy projects and resources. If you are a regular reader you know that I have talked about this topic in the past. Tipmont is a strong advocate and supporter of alternative energy sources that make sense from a cost and efficiency perspective. We encourage our members to educate themselves in this arena and to participate in our EnviroWatts program. Organizationally, Tipmont is a member of the Western Indiana Sustainable Energy Resource (WISER) group and we work with various groups in our region to help with sustainable projects.

I have spoken with many members that have shared their various viewpoints on renewable energy and the trends we are seeing across the electric energy. Electricity has been generated by hydro, wind, biomass, and other renewable resources in the United States for more than a century. Today, roughly 11 percent of the power electric cooperatives provide comes from renewables.

Renewable generation will grow if Congress allows

Whether you are opposed or in support of renewable energy sources, the total amount of renewable generation will only continue to grow if Congress, as expected, follows the lead of 28 states and the District of Columbia and sets renewable portfolio standards (RPS) for electric utilities. These laws require investor-owned utilities, competitive electric generation suppliers, as well as some municipal electric systems and electric cooperatives to add increasing amounts of “clean and green” electricity to their retail power supply mix. The totals range from 10 percent to 30 percent by a targeted date (mostly between 2018 and 2025).

No two state-based RPS laws are the same, mainly because access to renewable resources differs by region. Hawaii, Nevada, and North Carolina allow energy efficiency to count toward half of their RPS. Ten states including Texas, Nevada, and Illinois, include solar water heating. Others specify certain percentages for specific types of generation.

One proposal being considered by Congress would create a renewable electricity standard (RES), requiring all electric utilities to obtain 25 percent of their retail power supply from renewable sources by 2025. A national RES would likely augment, rather than pre-empt, existing state RPS laws.

Since renewable energy technology generally produces power for a much higher cost per kilowatt-hour than conventional fuels, such as coal, natural gas, or nuclear, RPS and RES mandates directly increase the price of electricity. Electric cooperatives are working closely with Congress and other groups in an effort to keep electric bills as affordable as possible.

What can you do?

Electric cooperatives are asking elected officials to address climate change issues in an affordable and environmentally responsible fashion. Through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, we are ready to provide insight to state and federal legislators into how various policy proposals like RPS and RES will impact consumers. We will urge lawmakers to reach the right answers for our members.

I would encourage you again to get involved! In unity with 42 million other electric co-op consumers around the country, ask your U.S. representative and senators to work with electric cooperatives to keep electric bills affordable. Get involved in this effort by participating in the Our Energy, Our Future™ grassroots campaign at www.ourenergy.coop.

As for local participation, if you are a proponent of sustainable energy and “green” projects, I would encourage you to sign up for Tipmont’s EnviroWatts program. This is a program which allows our members to show their support by paying a small premium of 1 cent per kilowatt hour, up to a maximum of $5.00 per month. The extra penny per kilowatt hour goes directly into the EnviroWatts Trust Fund. The fund is managed by an independent board of Tipmont members. Non-profit organizations in the Tipmont service area can apply to receive grants from the fund to use for environmental or renewable projects in communities served by Tipmont. The Board meets once a quarter to review applications and award grants.

Tipmont's EnviroWatts program

If you are interested in signing up to contribute to the EnviroWatts program please call us at 1- 800-726-3953. Any of your member service representatives will be happy to assist you with this. If you want more information on the grant process, please refer to the EnviroWatts section of our website at www.tipmont.org. The EnviroWatts section is located under the banner “Community”. This page provides all the information about the program as well as the forms you would need to request a grant for your non-profit organization in the future!