Debate over the best way to buy renewable energy has been heating up recently as strong demand has pushed European Guarantee of Origin (GO) certificates to all-time high prices.
A Guarantee of Origin (GO) is an energy certificate issued when 1 MWh of renewable energy is produced to ensure the electricity purchased comes from renewable sources.
The tradeable certificates have seen prices increase more than tenfold through 2022.
On November 30, Platts, a division of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed Nordic hydro 2022, the most actively traded GO, at €9.82/MWh ($10/MWh). Prices have been surging since early September, compared to levels of less than €1/MWh at the end of 2021.