The Unequal Equality of GOs

As in every market, renewable energy producers want their products to stand out. It is not just wind power, it is local community owned wind power. It is not just solar power, it is solar power that you can generate on your own roof. This product specific promotion is a great sign of a growing market with increasingly well-informed consumers who can find an option that meets their needs and matches their values.

In order to link their consumers with the particular type of power that they are selling, EU based suppliers have only one option. They must certify the power by requesting, transferring, and cancelling guarantees of origin (GOs) – the EU’s system of Renewable Energy Certificates.

Unfortunately, sometimes, GOs are cast not as the hero of the piece but as the villain. This is because GOs do not discriminate. They function in the same way for a new wind farm in sight of its target market as they do for a hydro plant build decades ago, and hundreds of miles from its customers. Indeed, GOs are not limited to renewable power. Any electricity can be certified, including that from fossils or nuclear. GOs are simply a tool for…