Bullfrog Power

Today we signed up with Bullfrog Power. This will replace our contract with Oakville Hydro.

"Bullfrog sources power exclusively from generators who meet or exceed the federal government's Environmental Choice Program EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity. Our power comes from clean, emissions-free sources like wind power and low-impact water power instead of carbon-intensive sources like coal and oil."

Our electricity rate will rise from 5 cents to 8.9 cents per kilowatt hour. The following table shows where the power will come from:

Basically in Ontario Bullfrog is 80% low-impact hydro and 20% wind. Because these systems are more expensive to run, new, experimental, etc., they are more expensive, hence the added cost per kwh. The result is that if we use 1825 kwh in a year (we use very little power), that power is generated via clean sources, so 1825 kwh less is generated using coal/oil/natural gas/nuclear. That works out to a yearly difference in cost of $71.17.

As one person's silly question was answered:

Q. I'm just curious how does one know that you are actually getting the power from Bullfrog? Doesn't power come from the same grid? You could actually get your power from Hydro One.

A. You don't, it does and I don't think that Hydro One generates power.

I believe that Bullfrog ensures that they cover total consumption (annual? quarterly?) but cannot cover it each hour (not in the least because most people are not metered by the hour) with green power generation. Besides, getting green power to match demand would increase the price somewhat and there is not yet a need for it.

Because North American grids are interconnected, this works fine. When wind power is being generated it can offset coal/gas/oil generation somewhere in Ontario or connected to Ontario if it is not needed here.

As for each electron moving back and forth, don't worry about it.