Consumers are Willing to Pay More for Green Power

As recently reported by Green Daily, sixty-seven percent of consumers polled across six countries would be willing to pay for clean energy, according to Plugging in the Consumer, a report from IBM.

Consumers were polled across six countries -- Australia, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. Out of all the countries, more Australians were willing to pay more when compared to the other countries. However, in the U.S., those willing to pay more were willing to pay quite a sizable premium, up to 20 percent more.

- Is this surprising? Not really. It's very "American" to fork over a premium to get what you want, when you want it, whatever the cost. After all, Americans are notorious for their never-ending need for instant gratification, wanting more, and paying more to get it (whether it's Tickle Me Elmos for the kids, the newest technology, or latest fashion/ automobile trend... or, now, clean energy).

Blogger Patricia Mayville-Cox writes: "We switched to a clean power option in our home and it did add a small monthly premium to our energy bill. However, because we found ourselves paying a bit more each month, we became even MORE careful about turning off the lights and keeping the temperature moderate. We joked about it, 'Turn off that light, wind turbines don't grow on trees!' And now, the irony is that our bills are lower than they were because of our conservation habits, motivated by both money and the earth."

- So, I wonder, will Americans continue to absorb the higher premium for clean energy as well as other sustainable innovations for the longterm, or will the early adopters eventually become "motivated by both money and the earth"? And, speaking of early adopters...where does America exist today on the innovation adoption curve for a sustainable environment? While I feel like we lag terribly as a nation, I believe that many individual citizens are working to educate themselves and pro-actively seek new ways to be environmentally sound on a day-to-day basis.

To look into green power options in your state, see the Department of Energy's Green Power site here.

Note: I've been checking out Green Daily.com for the last week or so, and I highly recommend it's combination of "green" news and humor!

Examples:

Paris Gets Naked, but Not for PETA
Extreme Environmentalism: Condom Recycling in China
Will Smith is Greening Up the Bathroom

- Sally