Energy-Backed Currencies

Why it makes sense

From (http://transitionculture.org/?p=198

"once you have a company generating local energy, you have an asset that you can use to back up a local currency. The problem with many local currencies such as LETS is that they can’t be exchanged for things in shops, and are not much use to business. Lietaer said you have to start with the idea that the currency can be used by business, and then also by the community. A currency backed by energy achieves this. Then people can part pay their bills in the local money, which would liberate the workpower needed to start to implement localisation in other areas such as land use and community development. The currency would be of use to everyone, not just to people who want an aromatherapy massage, as can sometimes be the problem with LETS. It can be either a printed currency or an electronic one. The company could give favourable loans to business start-ups that are driving forward the Energy Descent Action Plan." (http://transitionculture.org/?p=198)

How to achieve it

From an excellent article on the site of the Schumacher Society by Robert Swann, called “The Place of a Local Currency in a World Economy”

URL = http://www.schumachersociety.org/newsletters/04jun18.html

"If we are to begin to design a local money system that would work for development of a local economy, what are the elements or characteristics for such a system? It would have to be simple to understand, but consistent with our experience of the present money system. That is: it would have to consist of both cash (or paper currency) as well as a checking system–or some other form of bookkeeping which utilizes the computer to simplify accounting.

Unlike our present money system, it would have to be redeemable (i.e. exchangeable) in some real value–not necessarily gold or silver, but real needs of everyday use such as energy. Without redemption system it will be difficult to convince people of its value–after all isn’t that exactly why the dollar so devalued–because it is not redeemable for real value from the primary issuer, the Federal Reserve. Most importantly, we would need to establish a measurement of value which would be as universal as possible and not subject to swings in value up or down as our present money system is. In other words, it would have to remain as constant in value as possible in order to establish a sense of permanency and security as well as make it more practical for exchange to take place. Such a method of measurement would be the most revolutionary element in the design and would be the key factor in making it possible for a universal system of money and banking–without the need of central banks or central governments becoming involved in money issue.

Once this standard of value had been arrived at, it could be monitored by the state or federal government just as the Bureau of Standards maintains and monitors other standards of measurement such as weights and units of space. But it would not require state intervention into the economic sphere, as is now the case. And finally, it would have to be organized at the local level and controlled by the community as a whole (i.e. each community would elect members of the board of the issuing bank which would preferable be a non-profit institution). Under such a structure as I am suggesting, banking would become more truly a profession, and bankers would be paid for their services, but the community would decide how and where its currency would be invested”.

Current Projects in Development and on the ground

http://www.sustainableswcolorado.org/local-ingenuity/windmill-renewable-energy

http://transition.putney.net/index.php?ID=124

Ideas+Theories

http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/4085/renewable_energy_backed_p2p_currency http://p2pfoundation.net/P2P_Social_Currency_Model

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/67291

http://homepage.mac.com/forever.net/Sun/Moneytext.html

http://neweconomicsinstitute.org/publications/essays/swann/robert/building-community-banking-system

http://eddiesblogonenergyandphysics.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-implement-electricity-backed.html

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=13120

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/5269

https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/123456789/297783

http://www.theperfectcurrency.org/implementation.htm

Related Concepts+Possible Project Extensions

http://newgenerationenergy.org

Distributed Energy Grid

http://www.energymatters.com.au/carbon-trading/recs/index.php

http://p2pfoundation.net/Sparking_A_Worldwide_Energy_Revolution

http://fleeingvesuvius.org/index.php/2011/07/22/cap-share-simple-is-beautiful/