This paper critically examines renewable energy alternatives in developed countries: environmental mechanisms; future energy alternatives,, green electricity marketing and its potential; pricing; and limitations on the eve of open access. It discusses objectives in electricity restructuring; the role of resources planning in forming long range energy environmental policies; feasibility of electricity trading mechanisms; green marketing in the United States and Australia; green energy offers in Canada; and the results of green pricing programs in Europe and the United States. It Is based on presentations that were made on Renewable Energy in Developed Countries at the IEEE PES 1997 Summer Meeting in Berlin by M, Eraser (Canada), S, Conners (USA), M. Davies (UK), E. Holt (USA), M, Ellis (Austraila), J, Boyer (Canada), and J, Markard (Germany). At the outset, the role of existing and planned mechanisms to achieve environmental benefits in restructured electricity markets are reviewed. Technological and institutional challenges of achieving real, long-term reductions in carbon dioxide and other emissions from the electric sector are discussed. Factors associated with infrastructure turnover together with technology development and deployment are addressed, where attention is given to policies which promote highly integrated and coordinated reductions in emissions. The paper then focuses on the green pool and trends in power marketing where status of competitive markets, green pricing programs for franchise customers, green power products for contestable customers, credibility of green power marketing, and public policy for renewable energy technologies in competitive markets are discussed. It then reviews green energy in Ontario on the eve of open access, and shows there is a market for green energy if customers have a choice. Discussed are market analyzes and feasibility studies based on customer research, analysis of secondary sources and learning from experiences in US pilot markets. Results of green pricing programs in Europe and USA obtained by applying comparable success metering criteria where opinion polls and needs for renewables are discussed. Green pricing additional benefits compared with other programs together with potential and limitations of relying on customer choice to support renewables are also discussed.
