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Green Mountain Energy Company Hits 10-Year Milestone
Green Mountain Energy Company Hits 10-Year Milestone
Renewable Energy Pioneer is the Longest Serving Green Power Marketer in the United States
AUSTIN, Texas — October 22, 2007 — From its inception in an old airplane hangar in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Green Mountain Energy Company, the leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions in the United States, has propelled its way to become the longest serving green power provider in the nation. Since 1997, Green Mountain Energy Company has provided renewable energy to nearly 1.5 million customers as part of the company’s mission to change the way power is made. The company is marking its 10-year push to take green power mainstream in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference in Philadelphia this week.
“Since 2000, the amount of renewable energy capacity serving green power markets has increased approximately 20-fold1 and Green Mountain Energy Company has played a key role in the movement to make the green power market more mainstream,” said Paul Thomas, chief executive officer of Green Mountain Energy Company. “During the last 10 years, we’ve been a pioneer and innovator in the renewable energy industry. We’ve grown by offering residential and business customers an easy way to purchase cleaner, competitively priced electricity and carbon offset products, and by remaining passionate about providing cleaner energy solutions.”
Greener Power, Cleaner Air
The company and its customers, who support the development of wind and solar energy projects when they purchase Green Mountain Energy® electricity, have made a significant environmental impact the last 10 years, including:
Green Before Green Was Cool
In addition, Green Mountain Energy Company helped change the renewable energy industry during the past 10 years as some markets opened to electric competition, and consumers and businesses began making the environment a top priority. The company:
“Green Mountain Energy Company was a pioneer in the renewable energy market, and has helped make green power more accessible to consumers and businesses," said Jan Hamrin, president of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. "The company has been a leader in the cleaner energy movement, giving more people a choice in where their energy comes from." CRS administers Green-e, a program that certifies renewable power products sold by marketers, utilities, and energy-service providers in wholesale and retail markets.
Being Green Starts at Home
Just as Green Mountain encourages consumers and businesses to make a commitment to cleaner energy and a better environment, the company has taken steps to ensure it’s practicing the same principles. Green Mountain has committed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) goal of offsetting 100 percent of its corporate emissions with green power purchases through 2010 by participating in EPA’s Climate Leaders Program. In addition, Green Mountain’s corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas, received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver level LEED-CI certification, making it only the second Commercial Interior rated office space to receive this certification in Texas.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, began in 1997 with a simple idea: “to change the way power is made.” The company offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products using renewable sources such as wind, water and solar that help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the air. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
1 According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
AUSTIN, Texas — October 22, 2007 — From its inception in an old airplane hangar in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Green Mountain Energy Company, the leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions in the United States, has propelled its way to become the longest serving green power provider in the nation. Since 1997, Green Mountain Energy Company has provided renewable energy to nearly 1.5 million customers as part of the company’s mission to change the way power is made. The company is marking its 10-year push to take green power mainstream in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference in Philadelphia this week.
“Since 2000, the amount of renewable energy capacity serving green power markets has increased approximately 20-fold1 and Green Mountain Energy Company has played a key role in the movement to make the green power market more mainstream,” said Paul Thomas, chief executive officer of Green Mountain Energy Company. “During the last 10 years, we’ve been a pioneer and innovator in the renewable energy industry. We’ve grown by offering residential and business customers an easy way to purchase cleaner, competitively priced electricity and carbon offset products, and by remaining passionate about providing cleaner energy solutions.”Greener Power, Cleaner Air
The company and its customers, who support the development of wind and solar energy projects when they purchase Green Mountain Energy® electricity, have made a significant environmental impact the last 10 years, including:
- Delivering more than 33 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of cleaner energy into the marketplace — enough electricity to power over 2.9 million average U.S. homes in one year.
- Spurring the development of 35 new renewable energy facilities.
- Avoiding more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is the equivalent of not driving 7.3 billion miles or the annual sequestration of 290 million trees.
Green Before Green Was Cool
In addition, Green Mountain Energy Company helped change the renewable energy industry during the past 10 years as some markets opened to electric competition, and consumers and businesses began making the environment a top priority. The company:
- Launched the nation’s first retail renewable energy product in 1997, in California, the first state to deregulate its electricity market.
- Was the first renewable energy provider in Texas in 2001, and the first retail electric provider to help build a wind farm in the state since Texans were given the option to choose electricity providers. Today the wind farm is the fifth largest in the state, and the 10th largest in the nation. Green Mountain Energy Company is Texas’ only electricity provider dedicated to cleaner energy.
- Helped create what is currently the nation’s largest residential utility green pricing program in 2002 with Portland General Electric (PGE), delivering the sales, marketing and supply services to provide renewable energy products to PGE’s customers.
- Began partnering with the nation’s largest utility, Florida Power & Light (FPL), in 2004 to offer a green pricing program. The program currently ranks as one of the nation’s top green pricing programs.
“Green Mountain Energy Company was a pioneer in the renewable energy market, and has helped make green power more accessible to consumers and businesses," said Jan Hamrin, president of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. "The company has been a leader in the cleaner energy movement, giving more people a choice in where their energy comes from." CRS administers Green-e, a program that certifies renewable power products sold by marketers, utilities, and energy-service providers in wholesale and retail markets.
Being Green Starts at Home
Just as Green Mountain encourages consumers and businesses to make a commitment to cleaner energy and a better environment, the company has taken steps to ensure it’s practicing the same principles. Green Mountain has committed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) goal of offsetting 100 percent of its corporate emissions with green power purchases through 2010 by participating in EPA’s Climate Leaders Program. In addition, Green Mountain’s corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas, received the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver level LEED-CI certification, making it only the second Commercial Interior rated office space to receive this certification in Texas.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, began in 1997 with a simple idea: “to change the way power is made.” The company offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products using renewable sources such as wind, water and solar that help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the air. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions.
1 According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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