Summer Heats up for California's Green Power Market
July 23, 1999
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - California Green power providers report a new surge of customer enthusiasm. Two companies, GreenMountain.Com and Commonwealth Energy, report signing up customers at a record pace. A third, The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) announced plans to buy all the power available from a new green power facility that begins generating in September, in order to meet recent high customer demand. All three organizations offer products certified by Green-e, a renewable electricity certification program. To date, over 90 percent of California customers who switch electricity providers are receiving green power -- electricity produced using renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and small scale hydropower.
"Last month was our most successful month ever in terms of sales," said Rick Counihan, Director of California Public Affairs for Green Mountain Energy. "We are greatly encouraged by the speed with which green power is catching on in California," Counihan continued. Jay Goth, Vice President of Commonwealth Energy, said that "each week we set new records for the number of customers that switch to our 100% renewable power offering. In the San Diego area alone, 43 government entities are now buying our green power." California Public Utilities Commission Reports support the marketers' statements showing that customer requests for green power are up almost 90 percent from earlier in the year.
Customers have directly benefited from a statewide credit for renewable energy purchases that allows green power providers to offer renewable-based electricity at a price below that offered by the state's three major utilities. In addition, a grassroots education program being conducted by leading environmental organizations such as the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies and Global Green, USA, in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Marketing Board, is helping educate customers on the environmental benefits of green power purchases.
"Still much work remains to be done," said Karl Ràbago, Chair of the Green Power Board which governs the Green-e Program, "but the strength of California's green power market shows that when customers hear about it, they get it - buying green power is a choice they can make to create a healthier environment for us all."
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