Seemingly eco-friendly definitions can prevent adoption of renewable portfolio standards.
The recent failure of H.B. 2200 in Illinois, which would have established mandatory renewable portfolio standards (RPS) for electric energy suppliers, can be attributed to a failure to achieve agreement on workable definitions of "green." Flawed conceptions of "green" in Illinois and elsewhere have undermined the broad-based progress toward environmentally compatible energy sources that green and renewable energy proponents claim to seek.
The two most often stated goals of advocates for green and renewable energy are the lowering of energy-related emissions and the avoidance of resources that disrupt the environment. The case of Illinois shows how seemingly eco-friendly definitions of green can actually prevent adoption of RPS.