Clean Energy Company Green Mountain Launches Sun ClubSM in New York

Customers can help fund solar installations for worthy nonprofit organizations

New York City and Westchester County residents can now make an even greater impact on the environment by supporting the local development of solar energy for area nonprofit organizations. Green Mountain Energy Company, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, recently launched the New York chapter of the Green Mountain EnergySM Sun ClubSM – a program where for only $5 a month, Green Mountain’s New York customers can help donate solar energy technology to worthy local nonprofits.

Green Mountain was founded with a mission to change the way power is made.

This program is available to residential electricity customers in the
Con Edison service territory throughout New York City and Westchester
County. In addition to helping worthy organizations reduce their
electricity costs and carbon footprints, each solar donation will
include an educational component to help New Yorkers learn more about
the importance of this renewable and pollution-free resource.
According to the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority, each kilowatt of new solar photovoltaic installed avoids
1,254 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution a year. That’s as much
CO2 pollution avoided as planting 72 trees, or not taking 471 taxi
rides in the city.

“Green Mountain was founded with a mission to change the way power is
made,” said John Holtz, director, Eastern Region, Green Mountain
Energy Company. “Every New York resident that participates in the Sun
Club helps us continue to fulfill that mission. Sun Club projects will
be a shining example of the power our customers have to make a
difference for the environment in the Empire State. And they will help
to support the development of solar energy in New York.”

The company will launch the Sun Club program during a free concert
this afternoon in Madison Square Park (W. 23rd St and 5th Ave.)
beginning at 4:30 p.m., featuring the “cosmo-country” duo The Vanity
Bellesâ„¢. During the event Green Mountain employees will be handing out
sunflowers to promote the Sun Club.

Green Mountain has been offering New York City residents in the Con
Edison service territory a choice of competitively priced cleaner
energy products since 2009. Through the Sun Club program, the company
expects to select and announce at least three solar projects for local
non-profits before the end of 2011. Details will be announced in the
coming weeks as to how interested nonprofits may request participation
in the program. To learn more about the Sun Club or to sign up for
this program, please visit: www.gmsunclub.com.

About the Green Mountain Energy Sun ClubSM

The mission of the Sun Club is to fund, build and promote solar power
while assisting non-profit organizations with a socially-responsible
focus to reduce their environmental footprints. Since inception of the
program in 2002, Green Mountain and its customers have made 35 solar
donations to worthy non-profits across Texas. The cumulative impact is
almost 350 kW of solar energy, which to date are estimated to have
avoided as much CO2 as over 3 million miles not driven, taking over
250 cars off the road for a year, or recycling more than 1 million
pounds of newspapers. Due to the overwhelming success of that program,
Green Mountain is expanding the program beyond Texas. New York is the
company’s second market to benefit from this unique program.

About 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’s largest customer is the “world’s most famous office
building,” the Empire State Building in New York City. 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.

Short URL: http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/?p=12326

Posted by Gordon Smith on Aug 23 2011. Filed under Clean Energy, Green Power, New York, Press Releases, U.S.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry