Green Mountain Energy Company’s Green Santas gave Valley residents “gift of green” and provided green holiday tips as part of Texas Tour
Rio Grande Valley was one of three destinations on Green Santas’ multi-city Texas Tour
MCALLEN, TEXAS – Although there is only one “true” Santa Claus, this holiday season Green Mountain Energy Company introduced a troupe of Green Santas to hundreds of Rio Grande Valley residents today, Nov. 30. Donned in green Santa costumes with all the Santa trimmings, the Green Santas visited three locations in the Valley to greet the public and give residents of all ages an early holiday gift.
The group of Green Santas visited H-E-B on Pecan St. in McAllen, the Rio Grande Valley Outlet Malls in Mercedes and the H-E-B in Weslaco on Westgate Dr.
The Green Santas distributed earth-shaped plantable seed postcards to remind Texans to think green this holiday season, and to give themselves and the earth the best gift of all – 100% Pollution Freesm electricity from Green Mountain. They also shared tips with passersby on how they can have a green holiday season (See green holiday tips at end of document) and posed for pictures with shoppers.
Additionally, the Green Santas handed out information about a special limited-time offer for Pollution Freesm electricity from Green Mountain’s website that can be redeemed at www.greenmountain.com through December 31, 2010.
“This holiday season, we want to remind Texans that they can make a difference and have an impact on the environment every day of the year,” said Vanessa Montelongo, South Texas Market Manager, Green Mountain Energy Company. “ The holidays are a time of good cheer, but they also mean increased electricity use, which can take a toll on the environment. By choosing clean, 100% pollution-free electricity, South Texans can give themselves and the environment the best gift of all.”
Green Mountain has a regional office in McAllen and has been fully operational in the Valley since 2001 when electricity competition began in Texas – offering residents throughout South Texas – in areas such as McAllen, Harlingen, Pharr, Donna, Weslaco, Edinburg, and San Benito – electricity that is cleaner than typical system power. Green Mountain was the first renewable energy provider in Texas to offer cleaner electricity when the state opened the retail electric market to competition in 2001. Green Mountain Energy® electricity products are offered to Valley residents in the TNMP, and AEP Texas Central utility service areas.
GREEN MOUNTAIN’S TOP 10 WAYS TO BE “GREEN” THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
1. Reduce your household’s share of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by choosing Pollution Free electricity from Green Mountain.
2. When entertaining guests, avoid using disposable dinnerware; opt for washable plates, utensils, and linens to help reduce waste.
3. Purchase eco-friendly gifts for your friends and family that give back to the environment.
4. Bring a reusable bag when shopping to carry your purchases instead of plastic bags to help reduce waste.
5. Use stringed LED holiday lights to decorate your home. These lights are up to 90 percent more efficient than incandescent lights and can last up to 20 years!
6. Set up timers for your holiday lights to limit their use to six hours a day or less.
7. Wrap gifts in newspaper, fabric, or recycled materials instead of purchasing wrapping paper to help reduce waste and reuse materials already in your home.
8. Send online e-cards instead of printed greeting cards to reduce paper waste and save time and postage.
9. Gather friends and family and donate time to an environmental group. Volunteering is a great way to get into the holiday spirit!
10. Recycle your Christmas tree or holiday garlands for a good cause. Many cities have curbside pickup for tree recycling or mulching programs, or you can find a recycling center in your area by visiting www.earth911.com.
Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain, the nation’s leading competitive retail 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. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of clean electricity products from renewable sources, such as wind, as well as a variety of carbon offset products. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 11.3 billion pounds of CO2 emissions. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRG Energy (NYSE:NRG), Green Mountain is backed by one of the nation’s largest renewable power producers. For more information, visit GreenMountain.com
# # #
