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Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

Reliant Energy

April 2014 - The city of Worcester, Massachusetts, will be able to meet its clean energy resolution which requests that the city produces or purchases at least 20 percent of its electricity from clean and renewable energy sources. The city is expected to exceed this resolution by purchasing 25 percent from renewable energy sources through a contract with Renewable Choice Energy. Another partnership with South Jersey Energy Co., a New Jersey-based energy supplier, is expected to save the city about $600,000 on its electricity bills over the course of a three-year contract (if electricity market rates increase by 4.5% annually through 2018). At the time of signing of the contract the newly contracted rate was 7.7¢ per kilowatt-hour which was below the market price.

News Article - Hoping to lower costs, Worcester signs pact with new energy supplier

June 2013 - The City of Houston, Texas, recently purchased over 623,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of Green-e Energy certified renewable energy certificates (RECs), accounting for half of its annual power use. With this purchase the City remains one of the largest municipal purchasers of green power in the country. The City is buying the power from Reliant Energy under a two-year agreement for $2 million, which adds less than 1.0¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to the City's power price.

Press Release - City of Houston Increases Renewable Energy Purchase

October 2009 - The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership recognized Southwest Airlines as the 33rd largest Fortune 500 green power purchaser for its purchase of nearly 16 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy certificates (RECs), or enough to meet about 30 percent of the electricity needs of its Dallas and Houston facilities. Southwest is purchasing the RECs under an agreement with Reliant Energy.

News Release - Southwest Receives Green Power Recognition

August 2007 - The Houston City Council approved an amendment to the city's electric supply agreement that will allow the city to contract to receive up to 50 MW of wind energy, which would supply about one-third of the 1.3 billion kWh of electricity required annually to power city buildings, street lights and municipal water plants. The deal structure, which allows the city to lock in a five-year fixed price for the wind power, will enable the city to diversify its fuel sources from fossil fuels, remove volatility from the city's electricity budget, and receive renewable energy credits. The wind energy will come from the Lone Star Wind Farm under a supply arrangement with Reliant Energy.

March 2005 - Reliant Energy now offers Houston-area residents a 100% wind energy option. Under its Renewable Plan, customers can purchase wind energy for all of their electricity needs at a premium of about 1¢/kWh above standard rates. For the average household in Houston using 1,500 kWh per month, the extra cost would be about $15 a month. To supply the product, Reliant purchases renewable energy credits from Texas-based wind farms.

Reliant has offered a renewable energy option to customers outside of the Houston area since 2002, when Texas opened its retail electricity market to competition. Under the state's electricity restructuring law, incumbent utilities were restricted from providing competitive products and services in their home territory until January 1, 2005.

News Release - Houstonians Can Choose Wind Energy from Reliant

Reliant Contact: Dennis Barber, (713) 497-3042

June 2001 - Reliant Energy recently began offering a 100% renewable energy option to customers in the TXU and Texas New Mexico Power service territories under the state's retail competition pilot program. Residential customers can purchase the company's Green Energy Option for 1¢/kWh more than the cost of standard service. Currently, power for the program is supplied from a new wind facility in Upton, Texas.

Up to 5% of each customer class served by investor-owned utilities are eligible to participate in Texas' retail choice pilot program. Full retail competition is scheduled to begin January 1, 2002.

Reliant Media Contact: Pat Hammond (713) 207-7723

August 2000 - Reliant Energy of Houston, Texas announced its involvement in two new renewable energy projects to serve the Texas power market. Reliant will purchase the output from a 208-MW wind power facility to be built in West Texas and a total of 44 MW of landfill methane generation from 12 sites located in urban areas of the state. Although some of the energy will be sold into the grid to meet the state's renewable portfolio standard, Reliant also plans to market the power to rural electric cooperatives and "to other retail energy providers after the state's energy markets are restructured" in 2002. Plans call for Reliant to begin receiving power from both projects by the end of 2001.

News Release - Reliant Energy Announces Formation of Reliant Energy Renewables, Inc.; Start of Wind Power, Landfill Gas-to-Electricity Power Generation Projects - No longer online at reliantenergy.com

News Release - Waste Management, Inc. Announces Plan to Develop 12 Green Power Projects with Reliant Energy - No longer online at wm.com

News Article - Two projects aim to give Reliant big power boost - Subscription Required at Chron.com

News Article - As for additional electric power, answer is blowing in the wind - Subscription Required at Chron.com

Reliant Energy Contact: Richard Wheatley (713) 207-5881

February 1998 - Reliant Energy HL&P became the latest Texas utility to hear that its customers support renewable energy. When asked questions about planning for future electricity needs, customer preference was strongest for renewables and energy efficiency. Customers also indicated a willingness to pay $6.50 per month extra for renewables.

News Release - Clean Energy for the Energy Capital of the United States: Houston Light and Power Customers Voice Strong Opinions in Deliberative Poll - No longer online at edf.org

Reliant Energy HL&P Contact: Debbie Stegint (713) 207-7345

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