Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Takes Aim at Global Warming by Making Their Business Operations Carbon Neutral

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2006--Green Mountain Energy Company
-- Group partners with Green Mountain Energy Company and challenges businesses in the Southeast to follow their lead by examining their carbon footprint and taking steps to reduce global warming pollution
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy announced today that they are working with Green Mountain Energy Company's eMission Solutions division to make their business operations carbon neutral in 2006. They also extend the challenge to other businesses in the Southeast to reduce global warming pollution.
"We hope that our purchase will serve as an example to Southern businesses that it is possible TODAY to make your standard business operations carbon neutral and address a leading cause of global warming," stated Stephen Smith, executive director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "It's easy. If we, a small non-profit can do it, so can others."
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has partnered with Green Mountain Energy Company's eMission Solutions division to offset 100% of the estimated carbon dioxide emissions, a leading cause of global warming, associated with its business operations. They are accomplishing this through purchasing wind power and planting trees. This commitment helps avoid over 330,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, and has the equivalent impact of not driving over 366,000 miles. Additionally, the organization purchases clean energy from regional solar and methane sources in green power programs in markets where they are available, like the Tennessee Valley Authority's Green Power Switch(R).
"Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has set the bar for the Southeast by not only educating the community about the effects of global warming and the impact of carbon emissions, but now through this purchase, going a step further and offsetting all of their carbon dioxide emissions from business operations," said Gillan Taddune, chief environmental officer for Green Mountain Energy Company and head of the eMission Solutions division.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is offsetting its estimated CO2 emissions from its office electricity usage, refrigerant use, employee commuting and travel and natural gas usage. The organization has long been an advocate of energy efficiency and has taken steps to decrease electricity usage by buying Energy Star(R) products, using programmable thermostats and using highly efficient light bulbs in their offices. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has fifteen staff at offices in: Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Knoxville, TN, Raleigh, NC and Savannah, GA.
This move is in response to the increasing effects of global warming. "The Southeast is particularly vulnerable to the wrath of global warming," stated Smith. "Increased global temperatures could destroy many of our coastal communities through sea level rise and increases in hurricane strength and frequency. Global warming is the toughest environmental problem we currently face. Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is doing our part to reduce our global warming impact, are you doing yours?"
Businesses interested in taking Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's challenge and reducing their carbon footprint should visit www.cleanenergy.org for more information.
For more information about eMission Solutions from Green Mountain Energy Company visit www.emissionsolutions.biz.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible energy choices that create global warming solutions and ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. For more information, go to: www.cleanenergy.org
Green Mountain Energy. Founded in 1997 to change the way power is made, Green Mountain Energy Company is one of the nation's leading retail providers of cleaner electricity products, offering 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. The company recently launched the eMission Solutions division to offer a portfolio of carbon reduction services for commercial and institutional sector clients looking to improve their environmental position. The company is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.greenmountain.com
NOTE TO EDITORS: In the term "CO2" above, the "2" is subscript numeral. It was changed for transmission purposes only.