Texas has long been known as a leader in wind powered electricity. Not so much for solar though. A company called Green Mountain Energy is trying to change that. Green Mountain Energy is the state’s first and largest renewable energy provider. They plan to introduce a 100% solar power energy plan for residents in deregulated areas. This give residents the choice to source all of their electricity from solar instead of traditional means. The plan, named SolarSPARC aims to give residents solar energy without having the actual panels on their roofs.
With this plan, Texas consumers can choose solar power for their home and not have to worry about the huge financial commitment and routine maintenance of solar panels. This program also gives back. Green Mountain Energy will contribute $4 per month towards developing new solar projects in the state for each customer who chooses the SolarSPARC plan. Also, customers will receive bill credit for the projects they help fund. These credits start at $11 per solar project. And, could reach $121 per year after five years. Customers will also have the option to gift their credits to The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. The Sun Club is an initiative that has helped build more than 575kW of solar power for non-profit organizations.
Shay Ohrel, production innovation manager at Green Mountain Energy, said “The SolarSPARC product enables customers to help us “change the way power is made” by probing demand for solar and leveraging our experience in renewable energy to bring more clean electricity options to Texas.” Green Mountain Energy is building their first solar project to provide electricity for the program. The 10 kW solar field is near Big Spring, Texas. They plan to expand every six months depending on customer demand. “The more customers that sign up for the product, the more solar we’ll be able to build,” says Ohrel. This will give Texas the boost it needs to more utilize its solar potential.