Powers hopes Laurens Electric Cooperative's other 46,000 customers in seven Upstate counties, including Spartanburg and Union, feel the same.

"It's for my children," said Powers, an Enoree resident. "The older you get, you find yourself doing things you wouldn't do when you were younger."

Laurens Electric recently became the first utility in the state to offer Green Power to its customers. Green Power is the concept of producing renewable energy from such sources as methane gases, animal wastes and water.

Customers can purchase 100 kilowatt-hour blocks for $3. The charge will be added to the customer's monthly electric bill.

Jim Donahoo, a Laurens Electrical spokesman, said revenue generated from sales would be reinvested in future development of additional renewable resources.

"None of the revenue will go toward any administrative or marketing costs," Donahoo said.

Laurens Electric's Green Power is generated by Santee Cooper from methane gas produced by natural organic decay in the Horry County Landfill.

A network of pipes is used to collect the methane and deliver it to three specifically designed generators where the electricity is produced and distributed to customers. Using methane gas as a fuel has positive environmental benefits because it has been identified as a greenhouse gas. A 3-megawatt methane gas plant at full capacity has the same positive environmental impact as planting more than 21,000 acres of trees. Donahoo said an investment of $6 per month for one year on an electric bill buys enough Green Power to equal the environmental benefits of not driving your car for three months or planting an acre of trees in a national forest.

Donahoo said the cooperative is optimistic the program will be successful. "We've done research and found our members are interested in saving the environment," he said. "We found we have a substantial number of houses in our territory that would want to purchase Green Power."