Green power of Dutch energy company Innova was not green in 2013 and 2014

Dutch energy company Innova Energie failed to comply with the rules regarding green power. The so-called Guarantee of Origin (GO) certificates that are mandatory for selling green power had indeed been purchased by Innova, but they were not processed correctly in its administrative system. That is why the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed additional requirements on Innova Energie in order to be allowed to continue to supply power. Anita Vegter, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “It is important that customers really get what they have chosen. Almost 60 percent of Dutch consumers have opted for green power. It is therefore essential that the power that is supplied has indeed been generated in a sustainable manner.”

Incorrect power content labels

ACM has established that, in 2013, Innova cancelled insufficient GO certificates, and, in 2014, it even failed to cancel any GO certificates at all. Innova offered its customers green power, and subsequently purchased GO certificates for these sales. However, Innova then failed to cancel the required GO certificates in its administrative system, as a result of which these customers were actually supplied brown power. As the GO certificates in question had already expired, Innova was unable to re-use them for selling green power. This means that Innova did not benefit financially from this omission. However, Innova did erroneously sell power as green power, and, in 2013 and 2014, it published an incorrect power content label. Innova had to adjust this power content label. Ms. Vegter continues: “Innova will thus have to get its administrative system in order. And we will be keeping a close watch on that.”

Guarantee of Origin certificates and power content labels

Only with Guarantee of Origin (GO) certificates are energy companies able to prove that the supplied power really was green. The GO certificates that a power company has purchased must be cancelled in its administrative system. This requirement guarantees that each kilowatt hour of green power that is produced can only be sold once. These GO certificates are issued by Certiq, a government agency. ACM checks whether energy companies use the right types and amounts of GO certificates when supplying green power. Each year, consumers receive from their energy companies the power content label, which contains information about the energy sources used to generate the power that they have received. With this label, customers are able to see whether their energy companies actually supply green power.