Woods to study green electricity certificates

The selling of green electricity certificates supporting businesses in promoting their zero-carbon electricity status will be considered by energy and resources minister Megan Woods.

“I am seeking more advice on how the voluntary certificate schemes work and what measures, if any, are required to provide assurance about what they deliver,” Stuff reports.

It says companies such as Ports of Auckland, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Garage Project brewery have signed up since the scheme’s launch in 2018.

Stuffsays the scheme has been criticised as ineffective.

“Woods’ own ministry explored this type of voluntary electricity certificate programme last year and found it makes little positive difference,” Stuff says.

Voluntary schemes “are unlikely to support significant investment in new renewable projects”, Woods says.

Businesses can buy certificates under the scheme from electricity generators with renewable energy projects, but Stuff says the electricity generators providing the certificates aren’t obliged to do anything in return.

The company behind the scheme, Certified Energy, says it “promotes renewable energy generation and other premium generation projects”, Stuff adds.