Is Windsource a scam?
In response to my post about my new electric hot water heater, one reader, Ed (who prefers to keep his last name anonymous) claimed that Xcel Energy’s Windsource program is a scam. If you are not familiar with Windsource, it is an optional program that gives Xcel customers the option of having part or all of their electricity come from wind. The customer pays a small monthly premium for this option which I find irritating since renewable energy is now cheaper to produce than energy from fossil fuels. Windsource has been around since 2003. Xcel is Minneapolis-based and serves 3.6 million customers in eight states: Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. In summary, Ed alleged that the program is an excuse to charge customers more money. He said that there was no connection between the number of Windsource customers and any increases in Xcel’s conversion to wind-generated electricity. Ed also said that Xcel had staff members who