Beyond 2025: Changes to the GreenPower Program

Australia’s GreenPower program has announced several significant changes.

Under the national program, accredited retailers, like Shell Energy, offer GreenPower products to their customers. The retailer purchases and surrenders Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) to match their customer’s usage, which in turn creates demand for investment in more renewable generation in the grid.

Since its introduction in 1997, the GreenPower program has gone through a number of changes, the most recent of which were announced in June 2025.

Two main changes for business customers from 1 July 2026 are:

1. GreenPower Customers must match a minimum 30% of their electricity consumption with GreenPower

Currently, a customer that chooses to purchase GreenPower can decide what percentage of their electricity needs will be matched with GreenPower. However, under the new rules, GreenPower customers must match at least 30% of their electricity consumption.

This requirement will only apply to new GreenPower arrangements. Customers who agreed to a lower percentage of GreenPower before the new rule takes effect will be exempt for the term of the existing agreement. The 30% minimum would apply to any subsequent GreenPower purchases.

2. Changes for Australian Capital Territory (ACT) sites

In recognition of already high levels of renewable electricity in the ACT, accredited GreenPower retailers will no longer be able to offer monthly or quarterly consumption-based GreenPower product for sites in the ACT from 1 July 2026. No exemption period will apply.

Customers will still be able to buy a specific volume of GreenPower.

GreenPower and the mandatory Renewable Power Percentage (RPP)

Despite considering the option to recognise the mandatory Renewable Power Percentage in GreenPower product percentages, it was clarified in the changes announced in June that the two initiatives would continue to operate separately.

This means that even if you have elected to offset 100% of your energy use with GreenPower, you would still be charged the mandatory RPP. Based on the current RPP set by the Clean Energy Regulator, you would see a charge for 100% GreenPower and 17.91% RPP on your invoice – a total of 117.91% for renewable electricity.

Learn more information on changes to GreenPower here.

Want to use more renewable energy in your business, on your terms?

Want to explore more flexible ways of meeting voluntary renewable energy requirements? Shell Energy’s industry-leading^ product, RECO, could help. Our RECO product takes into account the mandatory Renewable Power Percentage, so if you elected to offset your energy use through RECO, your total charges would be less than GreenPower. If you chose our 100% RECO product, then based on the current RPP, you would see a charge for 82.09% RECO and 17.91% RPP on your invoice – a total of 100% for renewable energy.

^ Verified by independent research company NTF Group in May 2024.