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Green Power & Community Power
What is GreenPower?
GreenPower is a government accreditation program for renewable energy. It is bought by your energy provider on your behalf.
Renewable energy is generated from sources like mini hydro, wind power and biomass, which produce no net greenhouse gas emissions.
When you choose to buy a GreenPower product the few cents extra you pay in addition to your electricity account each day is invested in the renewable energy sector.
Because GreenPower meets the highest environmental standards, the ‘tick’ logo tells you the renewable energy you are supporting is the best choice for the environment.
The government GreenPower program organises publicly available independent auditing of energy retailers’ sales and purchases, making sure retailers are investing in renewable energy on your behalf.
Community Power Program Ends
The Community Power program that encouraged Whitehorse residents to sign up for GreenPower to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is being discontinued due to a low uptake by residents in the three participating municipalities.
Community Power was a partnership program of Whitehorse, Darebin and Moreland City Councils and the Moreland Energy Foundation that aimed to increase the uptake of GreenPower and promote energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
After discussions with the participating councils and the energy retailer, a decision was made to end the scheme that commenced in 2002 in Moreland and Darebin. The decision to end the program recognised that the GreenPower market has matured and there are now a large number of competitive offers available directly with retailers.
The Community Power program has had some successes since its establishment in Whitehorse in 2008. The Community Power Outreach Program operated in the eastern suburbs over a period of four months where 11 trained Community Power outreach workers attended 47 festivals, markets, community events and groups.
The outreach workers engaged more than 2700 residents in conversations about climate change, providing information about GreenPower and ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. A Community Power workshop in Whitehorse was attended by more than 200 community members.
Despite the scheme ending, Whitehorse Council continues its commitment to promoting the use of GreenPower and will use the positive aspects of the Community Power Program when designing and delivering other community education programs.