Green Mountain Energy Company Donates Solar Array to Ballroom Marfa

 

Dedication ceremony held today at non-profit’s facility; Marfa Mayor proclaims “Green Mountain Energy® Solar at Ballroom Marfa Day”

MARFA, Texas – May 9, 2009 — Ballroom Marfa’s roof has a new addition, thanks to Austin-based Green Mountain Energy Company (Green Mountain). The cultural arts space that presents visual arts, film, music and performance is now being powered partly by solar energy, while helping to promote the benefits of renewable energy in West Texas. Green Mountain donated the photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system that is mounted on the facility’s roof and visible from the street. Ballroom Marfa is located at 108 East San Antonio St., Marfa, Texas.

 

The City of Marfa is a tourist destination that is located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park in the high desert of Far West Texas.

 

Green Mountain’s Super Earth mascot, along with representatives from Green Mountain; Ballroom Marfa; the City of Marfa; Cynthia Tauss Delgado, Office of the Governor’s representative for West Texas/Upper Rio Grande Region; Marfa Mayor, Dan Dunlap; members of the community; and Ballroom Marfa supporters were on hand today to officially “flip the ceremonial switch” of the solar array. Mayor Dunlap proclaimed May 9th as Green Mountain Energy® Solar at Ballroom Marfa Day and urged Marfa citizens and businesses to learn more about green power and to engage in other activities that encourage the use of clean, reliable, renewable energy.

 

“As a proud recipient of Green Mountain’s donation for the solar array system, Ballroom Marfa is extremely enthusiastic to serve as a role model to actively promote cleaner energy for the West Texas community,” said Fairfax Dorn, executive director of Ballroom Marfa. “There’s urgency for change within our fragile environment. Green Mountain’s incredible contribution enables Ballroom Marfa to participate in this effort by bringing a higher level of awareness about renewable energy. Ballroom Marfa looks forward to being a leading advocate for both the cultural arts and the environment.”

 

The Green Mountain Energy® Solar at Ballroom Marfa is 5.25 kilowatts (kW) and is expected to produce more than 10,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year by converting sunlight into electricity. The solar array consists of 30 solar panels, will provide approximately 15 percent of the facility’s annual electrical power requirements and covers nearly 450 square feet of roof space. These panels will offset up to 13,700 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. That’s like not driving over 15,000 miles or the annual sequestration of more than 800 trees.

 

“Ballroom Marfa is a world-class art and cultural facility that is helping put West Texas on the map and Green Mountain is honored to help the facility go green,” said Paul Markovich, senior vice president, Residential Services, Green Mountain Energy Company. “Green Mountain has been serving customers in Texas since 2002. Donating solar arrays like this one helps us give back to the communities where our customers live, while supporting our mission to change the way power is made.”

 

Green Mountain donated the solar panels and funded the array’s installation through its Big Texas Sun Club® program.

 

Green Mountain’s Big Texas Sun Club is a unique program in which the company’s Texas customers can choose to support solar energy installations and education in Texas by paying an additional $5 on their monthly Green Mountain Energy® electricity bill (for information, visit www.bigtexassunclub.com).This is the 15th solar project built in Texas thanks to the Big Texas Sun Club. With this installation, Green Mountain’s Big Texas Sun Club has been responsible for creating almost 155 kW of new solar energy capacity in Texas since 2002. Austin-based Green Mountain Energy Company is Texas’ only electric provider dedicated to cleaner electricity.

 

The solar panels were installed by Houston-based Standard Renewable Energy (SRE). This is the 5th solar array SRE has installed for Green Mountain and the Big Texas Sun Club.

About Ballroom Marfa

Ballroom Marfa is a dynamic, contemporary cultural arts space that provides a lively intellectual environment where varied perspectives and issues are explored through visual arts, film, music and performance. As an advocate for the freedom of artistic expression, Ballroom Marfa’s mission is to serve international, national, regional and local communities and support the work of both emerging and recognized artists working in all media. Ballroom Marfa is particularly interested in helping artists and curators achieve projects that have significant cultural impact but would be impossible to realize in a traditional gallery or museum setting. Ballroom Marfa is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization. For more information, visit www.ballroommarfa.org.

About Green Mountain Energy Company

Green Mountain, the nation’s leading provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 “to change the way power is made.” The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. and was ranked the highest in residential customer satisfaction with retail electric service in Texas by J.D. Power and Associates. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products from renewable sources such as wind and water and carbon offset products through its BeGreen division (BeGreenNow.com). Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 4.1 million tons of CO2 emissions. For more information, visit GreenMountain.com.

1 Green Mountain Energy Company received the highest numerical score among residential electric service providers in Texas in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Texas Residential Retail Electric Service Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on responses from 2,572 consumers measuring 8 providers and measures opinions of consumers with their electric service provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in June 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

 

Contacts
JD DiFabbio (Ballroom Marfa), 432.729.3600
Marci Grossman (Green Mountain), 480.502.8100