Green Mountain Energy Earns Green-e® Energy Certification for Go Local Solar Plan
Go Local Solar powers homes with Texas solar energy; no roof required
HOUSTON, May 26, 2020 /3BL Media/ - Green Mountain Energy announced today that its Go Local Solar Plan received the Green-e® Energy certification from the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), the trusted global leader in clean energy certification. Pursuing sustainable and responsible sourcing aligns with Green Mountain Energy’s goal to help make a difference for the environment by providing renewable energy to homes and businesses and reflects the company’s commitment to transparency of its operations.
“Earning the Green-e Energy® certification validates the environmental attributes of our Go Local Solar Plan and is a natural fit for us as we work every day to change the way power is made,” said Mark Parsons, vice president and general manager for Green Mountain Energy. “We appreciate the in-depth review that CRS performs to confirm that customers are receiving certified renewable energy sourced from Texas solar, which is not available from any other competitive retailer in Texas.”
CRS, established in 1997, is a nonprofit that creates policy and market solutions to advance sustainable energy. CRS designed the Green-e® Energy certification as a consumer protection program to provide assurance of product quality and verification of product ownership. On behalf of consumers buying renewable energy products certified by Green-e® Energy, CRS requires that certified products like Go Local Solar undergo an independent annual audit to demonstrate compliance with the rigorous consumer protection and environmental standards required by Green-e Energy.
“We are excited to partner with Green Mountain Energy as it offers a high-quality, local solar option to its customers in Texas,” said Jennifer Martin, CRS Executive Director. “Go Local Solar customers can feel confident that their purchase of Green-e Energy certified clean energy is making a real, tangible impact on the state’s transition to renewable energy.”
As part of the Green-e® Energy program, Green Mountain Energy’s Go Local Solar plan undergoes an in-depth verification process to ensure that its renewable energy:
- is from new projects. It is important that renewable energy certificates (RECs) are generated from new projects built for the voluntary market, not to satisfy a state or federal requirement. This is a critical verification for consumers who are buying renewable energy and want their money to go toward encouraging new renewable energy generation. The RECs purchased by Green Mountain Energy on behalf of its customers have been verified by this independent third-party to ensure the RECs come from new facilities built to serve this voluntary market.
- is verified. Green Mountain Energy is reviewed once a year to ensure that the company lives up to its advertising and marketing claims. Certified energy is accounted for and tracked through the annual Green‑e® Energy verification audit process.
- has not been double counted. The verification audit and review process protect customers by ensuring the RECs purchased and retired by the Green Mountain Energy on behalf of its customers are not claimed by any other party.
Green Mountain Energy launched Go Local Solar in January 2019 offering customers the option to power their homes with 100 percent solar electricity generated in Texas. Go Local Solar is inspired by the farm-to-table movement, harnessing electricity from Texas-based solar parks and giving both homeowners and renters local solar power with no rooftop installation or upfront costs required. The 100 percent locally sourced energy comes from three solar parks located in Meridian, Texas near the Dallas area; Wallis, Texas near Houston and Brooks County, Texas near McAllen.
In addition, Green Mountain sets aside $4 each month from the customer’s bill to support the Green Mountain solar fund, which helps fund a variety of solar projects, programs and technologies. To date, more than 8,600 kilowatts of solar panels have been installed across Texas with support from the Green Mountain solar fund - enough to power the lights of more than 17,775 households.
To learn more and sign up for the Go Local Solar plan, visit https://www.greenmountainenergy.com/home-energy-solutions/solar-plan/.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Green Mountain Energy Company is the nation’s longest serving renewable energy retailer and believes in using wind, sun and water for good. The company was founded in 1997 with a simple mission: to change the way power is made. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products from renewable sources, as well as a variety of carbon offset products and sustainable solutions for businesses. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid more than 81 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. To learn more about Green Mountain, visit greenmountainenergy.com.
About Green-e® Certification and Center for Resource Solutions
The Green-e® certification program is run by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions and is the leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. CRS offers certification and verification services through Green-e® Energy, a renewable energy certification program; Green-e® Climate, a greenhouse gas emission reduction certification program; and Green-e® Marketplace, a program that provides forward-thinking organizations a simple, internationally recognized logo they can use to communicate their renewable energy and climate commitment to their customers and stakeholders. To learn more about Green-e® certified products and programs, visit www.green-e.org.
