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Shifting to only buying green electricity only actually works if so many people and businesses move to the green energy providers that there becomes more supply
by NineStarPoint 5y ago
Shifting to only buying green electricity only actually works if so many people and businesses move to the green energy providers that there becomes more supply of carbon-based energy than there is demand. All that a marginal level of people making the request does is shift what production goes where, and not the overall level of demand for electricity in the grid. And since very few businesses are willing to make this type of change, and businesses consume a greater portion of electricity than direct consumer use, personally switching to “true green” has very little effect on the situation unless it becomes a mass cultural movement to do so.
Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, it can only become a movement if enough people put their money where their mouth is and make the switch. But the current situation appears such that, without politicians intervening, there will not be enough entities willing to make such a switch to have an effect on the overall grid. (And therefore without politician intervention, our only real hope is non-carbon based energy becoming so cost effective that it displaces almost all carbon based energy use)