AUSTIN CONSUMERS AVOID PRICEY RENEWABLE POWER - FOR NOW

.
Austin Energy, a publicly owned power company and a city department of Austin, Texas, has found itself stuck with surplus renewable power as city residents have declined to sign up for higher rates under the city's GreenChoice program.

Contracting with renewable power providers and offering the service to customers sounded like a good idea to city officials until the price tag came in at three times the cost of conventional power. City residents aren't buying it.

In one of America's most liberal cities and one that prides itself on its environmental awareness, the latest allotment of renewable power is 99 percent unsold after seven months on the market.

Ultimately, Austin consumers will be required to pay much higher prices for their electrical power whether they like it or not: The Austin City Council, which oversees Austin Energy, has mandated Austin Energy generate 30 percent of its electricity from 'renewable' sources by 2020.

[The cost of not controlling your government - it runs amok.]

READ MORE