Renewable Energy in Midland

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday (and still today) when I stumbled upon an electric company that provides renewable (wind and water powered) electricity in Midland (and elsewhere). I began my search for the utility company with calling the first name on the list provided by my realtor: TXU Energy. Already a little leary of this huge company (I think I remember a Texas Monthly article few years ago???), I didn't get a very good vibe from the salesperson, which was made worse when she tried to lock me into a 2 year contract, stating in a monotonous tone that, "the price of energy keeps rising and we here at TXU Electric have no reason to believe it will go down." After this, I cancelled my ordered and began my own research by searching energy companies online and making a few phone calls. It turns out, there are THREE renewable energy companies that service Midland (Green Mountain, Reliant, and Amigo). I went with Green Mountain because their prices were best and they offer a $50 Visa gift card for new customers. Actually, their rate was .04 cents lower than TXU. Sweet!!

According to their website: http://www.greenmountainenergy.com/ , a year's worth refraining from the usual fossil-fueled electricity has the environmental impact of planting 100 trees, not driving 2,000 miles (Austin to IL and back), and/or not contributing 1700 lbs of CO2.

Our plan will use at least 10% wind energy and up to 90% hydro power. Another option is utilize 100% wind energy, which, according to the website, is the equivalent of 20,000 miles not driven or planting 1200 trees.

According to wikipedia, Green Mountain Energy Company was started in 1997 in Vermont and is now headquartered in Austin (who knew??).

I asked a lot of questions and did some research into how this works, wanting to make sure it will be a reliable source of power. Apparently, it is impossible to direct electricity coming from the grid to a specific source, but the way renewable energy works is that our usage will contribute renewable energy into the total grid. There is also no difference in how the energy comes into the home and no special equipment is needed. The website indicates that the consumer is merely choosing how the energy is made (generated) and not how it is delivered, therefore, the energy will be just as reliable as everyone elses'. (click on the link for a more detailed description http://www.greenmountainenergy.com/texas/how_it_works.shtml) .

Now, if I can just start to get the word out.... ;)