Portland General Electric Ranks on National Green Power Top 10 Lists; Green Mountain Energy Company Helps Utility Make DOE Rankings
AUSTIN, Texas, Apr 18, 2005 -- BUSINESS WIRE
Portland General Electric (PGE) has again made it into the top 10 rankings for its green power program, surpassing hundreds of utilities throughout the county. The 2004 Top 10 list of utility green pricing programs was released April 14 by the U.S Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
"PGE was an early supporter of renewable power for our customers, dating back to 1999," said Thor Hinckley, PGE's renewable power manager. "Our customers' response has exceeded our expectations every year, and we look forward to more growth and more renewable products for them in the future."
This marks a continuing trend for PGE as it has moved up since choosing Green Mountain Energy Company as the supplier and marketer of two of their three renewable options in December 2001. Green Mountain Energy Company is the nation's largest and fastest-growing retail provider of cleaner energy.
"It is very rewarding to contribute to the success of many of the industry's best green power programs," said John Savage, senior vice president of marketing for Green Mountain Energy Company. "We applaud PGE for their commitment in supporting renewable programs and we are pleased that by working with them, we have helped make their 'green pricing' program one of the leading utility programs in the country."
Under green pricing programs, consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal. Nearly 600 utilities in 34 states now offer these programs. Using information provided by utilities, NREL develops "Top 10" rankings of utility programs in the following categories: total sales of renewable energy to program participants, total number of customer participants, customer participation rate, and the lowest price premium charged for a green pricing service using new renewable resources.
"Customer participation in utility green power programs continues to grow across the country," said Lori Bird, senior energy analyst at NREL. "These utilities are the national leaders."
PGE Rankings
-- No. 2 for sales -- PGE renewable sales volume for 2004 averaged 262,142,564 kilowatt hours compared to 188,646,290 last year, a 39 percent increase over the prior year.
-- No. 3 for customer participation -- At the end of 2004, 33,491 PGE residential and commercial customers were enrolled in one of PGE's three renewable power options, compared to 26,893 customers at the end of 2003, nearly a 25 percent increase over the prior year.
-- No. 8 for customer participation rate -- For the first time, PGE made NREL's Top 10 list for customer participation rate, which measures the percentage of the utility's customers purchasing renewable energy. PGE ranks number 8, with 4.3 percent of its customer base participating in the program. PGE serves 765,000 retail customers in Northwest Oregon.
NREL is a leader in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) effort to secure an energy future for the nation that is environmentally and economically sustainable.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Founded in 1997 to change the way power is made, Green Mountain Energy Company (www.greenmountain.com) offers residential, business, institutional and governmental customers the choice to support cleaner electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass and natural gas. Due to Green Mountain Energy Company's efforts, about 600,000 customers nationwide are purchasing electricity that is significantly less polluting than typical system power. The company is based in Austin, Texas.
About NREL
NREL is a national laboratory managed by Midwest Research Institute, Battelle and Bechtel. The lab is a leading center for research into photovoltaics, wind energy, plant- and waste-derived fuels and chemicals, energy-efficient buildings, advanced vehicle design, geothermal energy and hydrogen fuel cells.
About PGE
PGE is a recognized leader in the utility industry with more than a century of experience delivering safe and reliable electricity. PGE serves more than 765,000 retail customers in northwest Oregon. The company supports the community through a variety of innovative philanthropic, volunteer and environmental stewardship efforts. More information on PGE renewable energy products is available online for residential customers, small- to mid-sized business customers and large commercial customers.
Green Mountain Energy(R) and the Green Mountain Energy logo are registered service marks of Green Mountain Energy Company. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Green Mountain Energy Company
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