Green Power Marketer Saves Customers $7m

Green energy retailer Viridian prevented more than 46 million pounds of carbon emissions in its first full year of operations, according to the company’s inaugural sustainability report.

The report (pdf)  says that Viridian’s services saved its customers almost $7 million. The carbon emissions saved are equivalent to taking 4,000 cars off the road, Viridian said.

Viridian sells electricity in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut. It does not itself own generation assets, but buys renewable energy credits (RECs).

The company says the report demonstrates the potential impact that retail demand can have on the development of renewable energy.

Last year the Center for Resource Solutions announced Green-e Energy certification for Viridian’s Pure Green rate plan, which is backed 100 percent by RECs. The certification requires that renewable energy be generated within the same regional transmission organization (RTO) where the energy is being purchased, or the RTO nearby.

Other sustainability initiatives mentioned in the report include printer cartridge recycling and clean-up days at the beach in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

“In a world where so often the bar is lowered, we keep raising it. Across the board, we believe in holding ourselves to a higher standard – our products have a higher renewable content than is required, our renewable energy is from higher-quality sources, and this report is our voluntary commitment to greater accountability,” said founder and CEO Michael Fallquist.