Green Mountain Energy Company Campaign Highlights Powerful Choices Individuals Can Make to Help Clean the Air We Breathe

Austin, TX — December 30, 2003 — This year as millions resolve to exercise more and eat better, Green Mountain Energy Company, the nation's largest provider of cleaner electricity, is encouraging individuals to consider making a New Year's resolution with a different purpose. The company is kicking off the year long Powerful Choice campaign aimed at getting people to take action and make choices that will help clean the air we breathe.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average U.S. household is responsible for the emission of almost 60 tons of carbon dioxide (C02) annually. C02 is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Each household can reduce about 32 percent or 20 tons of this C02 footprint by making simple yet powerful choices.

The top three most powerful choices individuals can make are:

  1. Sign up for cleaner electricity. Most people don't realize that making electricity is the leading cause of industrial air pollution in the U.S. Purchasing 100 percent wind power in Texas from Green Mountain Energy Company for a year will offset over 17,000 lbs of C02, as much as taking a single car off the road for one year.
  2. Make smart transportation decisions. Hybrid gas/electric cars are more affordable and accessible than ever. The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are at the top of the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide and get roughly 57-60 miles per gallon in the city. Better fuel economy means lower C02 production. In fact, a five-mpg difference equates to about 2,800 pounds of C02 a year. To learn more visit http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles .
  3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rebuy. According to Keep Texas Beautiful, Texans throw away enough trash to fill the Astrodome in fewer than 10 days. Each ton of recycled paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space; 7,000 gallons of water; 17 trees; and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity. To learn more visit http://www.texasrecyclesday.org .

"As Texans are making their New Year's resolutions this year, we hope they will consider the impact their decisions can make on the environment," said Ross Haskell, Texas region general manager for Green Mountain Energy Company. "Signing up for cleaner electricity from sources such as the wind is one of the most powerful choices an individual can make."

Green Mountain Energy has been offering 100 percent pollution-free electricity in Texas since April of 2001. Texans have widely embraced cleaner electricity and their support has led to the recent development of the Green Mountain Energy Wind Farm at Brazos, a 160 megawatt facility that will generate enough energy to power 30,000 average Texas homes per year. Interested customers can take action today by calling 1-866-GREEN TX or visiting https://www.greenmountain.com/texas to sign up for cleaner electricity in Texas.

About Green Mountain Energy Company
Founded in 1997 to "change the way power is made", Green Mountain Energy Company sells cleaner electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass and natural gas to residential, business, institutional and governmental customers. About 600,000 customers in California, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas have chosen Green Mountain Energy®electricity, which is dramatically less-polluting than typical system power in those states. The company is based in Austin, Texas.