Welcoming the New Year with 100% Green Power

Inspired by a diary on Daily Kos, I have a suggestion for my readers. Welcome the New Year by lowering your carbon footprint.

I will start by quoting from the dKos diary:

I just switched to 100% Wind Power...
by Wintermute

This is so great. If you live in the DC area, you can help support the shift to renewable energy resources AND help create/sustain green jobs...

A while back I got something in the mail from Washington Gas Energy Services saying that I could switch from PEPCO to them for generation, and get a greener mix of energy resources. So I did.

Then I got something in the mail yesterday that said I could switch to total, 100% wind generated from local generation sources. The cost is an additional $20/month for an average 10,000 kWh, monthyear usage.

What does this do?

The typical generation mix produces 1169 lbs of CO2 per MWh. That means if you use the average 10,000 kWh per year, you are responsible for a staggering 6 tons of CO2 per year for electricity generation for your house.

Switch to wind, and that goes to ZERO. Nada. Zilch.

This is a great way to start the new year, and the new decade.

Go to Washington Gas Energy Services or CleanSteps Community for more information

Almost anywhere in the United States you can make this kind of switch. Joy and I have done this already through ConEd Solutions which covers areas in CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, NY, NH, NJ, PA, TX, and ME.

If you live in any of these states, you can lower your carbon footprint by approx 6 tons per year through ConEd Solutions.

The diary I quote from describes a program that covers areas around Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland. If you live in these areas you can lower your carbon footprint by approx 6 tons per year through CleanSteps Community.

If you live elsewhere, you can check this website to see if there is a green power program in your state. Some offer all wind. Some offer wind/hydroelectric mixes. Some throw some methane capture in as well. All are better than oil, coal or natural gas from drilling (as opposed to methane capture). All will cost you slightly extra. Generally a few pennies per kilowatt hour more. But I have a suggestion to cover that as well.

When Joy and I made this switch, we also switched to compact fluorescent bulbs at the same time. Our energy bills immediately went down more than 30%, more than offsetting any extra cost from switching to green energy generation. Combining greater efficiency (compact fluorescents, better insulation, replacing old appliances) with the switch to the slightly more expensive green energy will balance out, making your carbon footprint smaller and your bill either the same or smaller. It is a good way to start a new year and new decade and it creates good American jobs, often fairly local ones, thus improving your local economy as well.

If you haven't made this switch, now would be a very good time to do so.