Energy company promotes ‘clean’ electricity

HARLINGEN - A new green company is positive there are people in the Rio Grande Valley who will support renewable energy.

The Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Company is broadening its sales and marketing efforts to reach and educate Valley residents about pollution-free energy, a company spokeswoman said.

Starting Monday, a bilingual campaign will target Valley residents and will concentrate on "clean" electricity.

The company has also sent representatives to reach out to the public about the effects the generation of electricity is having on industrial air pollution in the United States, said Helen Brauner, director of marketing.

The majority of electricity generated in the country is made by burning pollution-causing fossil fuels like coal and oil, Brauner said.

The average home, because of its electricity use, is responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions than the average car, she said.

In Texas, the public can choose retail electric providers that fit their electricity needs, said Terry Hadley, spokesman for the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Customers in West Texas, where wind farms are located, have already started turning to renewable energy, Hadley said.

"Now, there has been a growing interest in using renewable energy in South Texas and the Gulf Coast," Hadley said. "Customers have indicated interest and will pay a premium for it."

A premium is set on clean energy because of the work that goes behind generating it from wind and solar power, industry officials say.

Brauner said in the last two years, a market has grown in South Texas for a company like Green Mountain, which she says has a 100 percent renewable energy content.

A soft sale for Green Mountain was launched in 2007. The company has a current cost of 15.2 cents per kWh for a year's worth of service, according to data from the PUC.

A customer with an average monthly usage of 1,000 kWh over one year can help avoid 1,700 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to more than 2,000 miles not driven by a vehicle in a year, Brauner said.

But CPL Retail Energy has a fixed cost of 13.7 cents per kWh for 12 months, while TXU Energy Simple Rate has a fixed cost of 14.6 cents per kWh for 12 months, according to the PUC.

"Whether they're paying a little bit more or little bit less, a lot of people see that it's a really easy way to make a difference," Brauner said.

"This is appealing to a lot of different people because green efforts have become mainstream."