Tennessee Focus: Green Power Switch

Now more than ever America needs Green Power. Green Power means domestic energy and that means domestic jobs. Green Power means less money going to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela and more staying right here in America. Green Power means cleaner air, cleaner water, less carbon emission and a stronger economy. And it is something we ALL can be a part of.

I like this one because it is a link between FDR's programs that helped America so much and the kind of green, local energy solutions we need today. The Tennessee Valley Authority is involved in helping energy customers switch to green energy, including landfill methane gas use (which reduces methane emissions from landfills while generating energy), wind power and solar power. Through the TVA you can, at less than 3 cents per kilowatt-hour more than you currently pay for energy, contribute to reducing carbon emissions, cleaning up the Tennessee environment, and stimulating the Tennessee economy. Three important ways of helping your local community, local environment and local economy, all for less tahn 3 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy you use. When my wife and I made a similar switch in New York, we barely noticed the difference in our energy bill. We also switched to compact fluorescent bulbs at the same time and the energy savings reduced our bill by one-third even with the small increase from buying green energy. Together, we reduced our carbon footprint by about 30% while overall saving money. I highly recommend the switch.

From Tennessee Valley Authority:

2010 marks two important anniversaries: the 40th Earth Day and the 10th year of Green Power Switch.

What’s the impact of those ten years?

After enlisting 12 distributors and about 3,000 customers its first year, Green Power Switch enters its 10th season with 114 distributors and nearly 12,000 residential and more than 500 commercial buyers.

* Green Power Switch participants have purchased nearly 500,000 MWh of renewable energy.
* By doing that, they’ve kept nearly 900 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions out of our atmosphere.
* That’s equivalent to keeping 85,000 passenger vehicles off the road for a year.
* It’s also equal to planting over 138,000 acres of trees in the Tennessee Valley region...

How much does Green Power Switch cost?

Green Power Switch is sold to residential consumers in 150-kilowatt-hour blocks (about 12 percent of a typical household’s monthly energy use). Each block adds $4 to the customer’s monthly power bills. Consumers may buy as many blocks as they like. In other parts of the country, residential consumers who participate in green power programs pay an extra $2 to $10 per month for green power. Green Power Switch is also marketed to commercial and industrial consumers, who are asked to buy blocks based on the amount of energy they use.
How does green power benefit the environment?

The environmental effects of traditional energy sources like coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear power can be significant. Although no source of energy is impact-free, renewable resources create less waste and pollution. In fact, an investment of an additional $8 per month on your power bill buys enough Green Power Switch to equal the environmental benefits of planting an acre of trees in the Tennessee Valley region.

To sign up, please click here. It is one of the most important changes you can make in your lifestyle this year and it helps create jobs right in Tennessee.