Green Mountain Energy

Green Mountain Energy Company

Type	Subsidiary of NRG Energy
Industry	Renewable Energy
Founded	1997
Headquarters	Austin, TX, U.S.[1]
Products	Retail and Commercial Electricity, Carbon Offsets & Energy Solutions
Website	http://www.greenmountainenergy.com

Green Mountain Energy Company is a United States company that offers electricity products, carbon offsets, and "sustainable solutions" to residential and commercial customers.^[2]

History

Green Mountain Energy began in Vermont in August 1997 as an offshoot of Green Mountain Power to take advantage of electricity deregulation around the country.^[3] The company moved its headquarters to its current location in Austin, Texas in September 2000. Green Mountain began serving the Texas competitive market in January 2002, and was the first retailer to offer alternative energy in the state.^[4]

Competitors of Green Mountain include Reliant Energy, Champion Energy, Texas Power, TXU, Gexa Energy, and Direct Energy.

In August 2009, Green Mountain Energy expanded to the New York City market, serving residential and commercial electricity customers in the Con Edison service territory.^[5]

In November 2010, Green Mountain Energy was acquired by NRG Energy for $350 million.^[3] Green Mountain Energy now operates as a standalone subsidiary of NRG. With the acquisition of Green Mountain Energy’s renewable offerings, NRG became one of the largest retailers of green power in the nation.

Green Mountain Energy made national headlines in January 2011 by signing a two-year agreement to provide 100% renewable energy to the Empire State Building, making this the largest commercial green power purchase in New York City at that time.^[6] The following year, in February 2012, the company partnered with the National Football League (NFL) to power Super Bowl XLVI with 15 million kWh of renewable energy.^[7]

In June 2012, Green Mountain Energy expanded to Pennsylvania, serving residential and commercial electricity customers in the PECO and PPL service territories.^[8] As of July 2013, Green Mountain Energy Company serves customers in all seven Pennsylvania service territories.

Green Mountain Energy received the highest overall rating for Texas in the J.D. Power 2014 Retail Electric Provider Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.^[9] The survey scored retail electric providers in the areas of price, communications, enrollment/renewal experience, customer service, corporate citizenship, and billing and payment. Green Mountain Energy edged out frequent award winner Champion Energy in the survey.

Residential Services

In Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania, Green Mountain Energy directly serves residential electricity customers who live in a deregulated utility service territory.^[8][10]

Green Mountain Energy also partners with utilities in regulated markets in the U.S., such as Portland General Electric (PGE) in Oregon, to offer renewable energy products to their customers. Additionally, Green Mountain Energy participates in multi-supplier utility partnering programs in New York and New Jersey.

Products

Green Mountain Energy’s flagship residential electricity product is "Pollution Free electricity", supposedly made from 100% renewable sources.

In May 2009 Green Mountain Energy launched the "Renewable Rewards" Buy-Back program, which credits customers with renewable generation facilities on their homes for excess energy their facility sends back to the electric grid.^[11]

In April 2011 Green Mountain Energy announced "Pollution Free EV", a 100% wind electricity product exclusively for electric vehicle owners. This product can be used in conjunction with NRG Energy’s eVgo program for unlimited EV charging.^[12]

Another product, "Pollution Free Gold", offers 95% PA-sourced wind and 5% PA-sourced solar energy to residential customers in Pennsylvania. This product also includes a monthly donation to the Sun Club, a Green Mountain program which donates solar energy to non-profit organizations.

In April 2011 the company also launched a solar leasing program for residential solar panels.^[13]

In June 2013 GMEC launched a new product called "Pollution Free Efficient", which is the first and only 100% pollution-free energy product to be paired with the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Green Mountain Energy also offers renewable energy certificates (RECs) and carbon offset products to individuals nationwide.

Green Mountain Energy maintains product integrity through a comprehensive annual third-party audit. This audit, which Green Mountain Energy makes public, confirms that all claims of renewable energy content are valid. Green Mountain Energy offers non-certified renewable energy products as well as products certified by well-established verification programs such as the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy.^[14]

Commercial Services

Green Mountain has a commercial and industrial division that offers cleaner energy products to business customers in Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania.^[8] The commercial division began in 2004, and offers business customers the opportunity to reduce their CO₂ emissions footprint by purchasing renewable energy or carbon offsets. Green Mountain Energy Solutions is a new division launched in 2011, which offers "sustainable business solutions" to companies nationwide.^[15]

Products

Green Mountain Energy offers commercial and industrial customers renewable energy products, including renewable energy certificates (RECs) and carbon offsets,^[16] and sustainable business solutions through the Green Mountain Energy^TM Solutions group.

Renewable Facilities

Green Mountain Energy’s customer demand has helped spur the development of over 50 wind and solar facilities around the U.S, including more than 35 solar facility donations funded by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club members (previously Big Texas Sun Club.^[17])

Green Mountain Energy also purchases 100% of the renewable generation from the Green Mountain Energy Winds Farms—Langford and Elbow Creek to supply their consumers and businesses. Jointly, these two West Texas wind farms can produce up to 270 megawatts (MW) of clean power.

See also

• Deregulation of the Texas Electricity Market
• Electric Reliability Council of Texas
• Wind power in the United States
• Solar power in the United States
• Green Energy
• Brazos Wind Farm
• Green Mountain Wind Energy Center, located in Pennsylvania

References