PG&E; to Purchase and Operate Major California Wind Energy Project

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E;) recently announced that it plans to purchase and operate a major wind generating plant to be built in Southern California to serve the utility's electric customers.

With a power capacity of up to 246 megawatts, the proposed project would be the first wind project owned by PG&E.; If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the project could begin producing wind power by December 2011.

With a projected annual output of up to 670 gigawatt-hours per year, equal to the energy consumed by about 100,000 average homes, the project would contribute significantly to PG&E;'s efforts to meet California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.

Find PG&E; service available in your area

Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Home Improvements

It's tax time again! When you are filling out your returns (before April 15, 2010!), don't forget to claim any tax credits relation to energy efficiency home improvements you did in 2009.

For improvements made in 2009 and 2010, you can get an income tax credit of up to $1,500 for installing efficient new windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in your home. However, efficiency criteria will vary dependent on when these items are installed.

Not sure what counts and what doesn't? The Alliance to Save Energy offers a handy Guide to Energy-Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits.

American Wind Energy Association Says 2009 a Good Year for Wind Energy

The American Wind Energy Association thinks that 2009 was a pretty good year for wind energy in the United States. The association recently identified the wind industry’s top accomplishments and developments of the year, including:

• Saving Water: The electricity from the entire fleet of turbines installed through 2009 will conserve over 20 billion gallons of water annually, which would otherwise be withdrawn for steam or cooling in conventional power plants.
• Avoiding Carbon: Those same turbines will avoid emitting over 57 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, based on the conventional mix of fuels used for electricity generation. That is equivalent to taking over 9.5 million cars off the road!
• Improving Environmental Health: They will also help avoid annually 200,000 additional metric tons of acid-rain causing sulfur dioxide which would otherwise have to be abated to achieve the national Acid Rain Program goals and 80,000 additional metric tons of smog-causing nitrous oxide which would otherwise have been emitted.

To see all the AWEA's thoughts on wind energy in 2009, check out American Wind Energy Association Notes Wind Industry Highlights of 2009. If you'd like to purchase greener energy in 2010, be sure to visit Green Energy Choice to find the best offers available in your area.

Fight the Cold When You Shop Natural Gas at WhiteFence

It’s been a cold winter so far and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be getting warmer any time soon. In fact, they’re forecasting snow again today here in the Lone Star State. With all this cold weather, many Americans have been hit with high natural gas bills right in the middle of some already icy economic times.

Natural gas rates are currently at historical lows, so if you feel like you’re paying too much for your heating needs it might be time to do some shopping. With WhiteFence you can easily discover and compare your options for natural gas service to find the right plan for your household. You might find that you’ll be able to slash your heating costs for the rest of the winter.

To get started, simply visit our natural gas page and enter your address. WhiteFence will then search for a list of natural gas providers and plans available to you. In just seconds, you’ll be able to compare your options in an easy-to-understand format and identify what plan best meets your needs.

Here is some of the information you will find about each plan:

• Price Per Unit – What price you will pay for each unit of natural gas. Depending on your utility and market this could be therms, Ccf or Mcf.
• Plan Type – What rate type the plan uses, fixed or variable.
• Contract Term – How long the plan’s contract will last. With some plans you can lock in a rate for a specified amount of time, but others are on a month-to-month basis.
• Early Termination Fee – How much you will have to pay if you decide to exit a contract early.
• Monthly Charge – Any recurring charges in addition to your actual usage charges.
• Specials – Promotions the company might be offering for a specific plan, such as a bill credit.

While comparing, keep an eye out for our Best Price Guarantee, which is an agreement we have with many service providers to ensure you’re getting the lowest published prices in your neighborhood. WhiteFence can give you the confidence that you’re getting the best deal while also saving you all of the time involved with researching every provider on your own.

Once you’ve made your selection and are ready to order your new natural gas service, you can place your order directly through WhiteFence. We can then work with you to make sure the provider gets everything up and running correctly.

With plenty of cold weather left in the forecast this season, you still have the chance to save big. Click over to our natural gas page and get started now.

Natural Gas and the Home

I will admit it. This feels like a safe place to say it: I'm a newbie when it comes to natural gas. It makes me feel like a kid, but it's true. Growing up, we never had natural gas at either of the homes we lived in. Everything was run on electricity, so things like pilot lights and gas just never really made sense to me.

Recently, my wife and I moved into our first home, and it's the first time I've had to deal with natural gas as a utility. Embarrassingly enough, I keep forgetting that it's a bill we have to pay and it always sneaks up on me each month.

When we first had it turned on, I didn't know where to look for the pilot light and I was unsure about a few safety things. However, now that things are rolling, I'm feeling much better and it seems as though I know the ropes. I think I let it intimidate me early on but now I know there's nothing to it.

So what about you guys? Who currently has natural gas service in their home?

10 Easy Tips for a Green Christmas

Christmastime is generally one of the least eco-friendly parts of the year—but it doesn’t have to be. Stay off of Santa’s naughty list this year with these simple green tips.

• Buy LED lights – LED Christmas lights use up to 90 percent less electricity than incandescent.
• Shop online – Driving across town all day buying gifts really racks up the carbon emissions. Instead, plan ahead and buy your gifts online.
• Use real plates and cutlery – It’s no secret, people love to eat around the holidays. This year, make sure you aren’t generating trash and wasting resources by serving everything on real plates and silverware.
• Put up less lights – Many times, people keep putting up lights just because they have more to put up. Make sure you’re only putting up lights you really want to put up—less can be more.
• Buy a sustainable and/or potted tree – Plastic trees are not eco-friendly at all, but cutting down a tree every year isn’t either. Look for trees that have been raised sustainability or ones that are potted. Potted trees can be reused for years and eventually re-planted.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle wrapping – Americans generate countless tons of waste each year just in Christmas gift wrapping. Instead of adding to the pile, look for ways to cut down on the amount you use, reuse gift bags and ribbon and recycle paper.
• Organic and local foods – For your Christmas feast, try to buy as much organic and locally raised foods as possible. Bonus: your food will probably end up tasting better!
• Send e-cards – Instead of paper cards, send out virtual cards this year. They may not have the full effect of a real card, but they cut down on lots of waste and carbon emissions.
• Recycle your tree – If you end up with a real tree that isn’t potted, don’t just feed it to the landfill. Instead, find a recycler that can chip it up for use in gardening.
• Turn off lights – Lights are great at turning up the holiday spirit, but only have them on when you are around to enjoy them. Leaving lights on while you are out of the house is just a waste.

How to Switch Electricity Providers Online with WhiteFence

Looking to save on your energy bills? With WhiteFence, switching to a new electricity company is quick and easy. If you live in a deregulated area, you have the power to choose your provider based on what matters most to you — whether that is the lowest price, the best customer service or the availability of green energy choices.

To get started, simply visit WhiteFence.com and enter your address. WhiteFence will search for the electricity providers and plans available at your location and present you with a list of results in just seconds. You can then compare all of the plans to find the one that best meets your needs.

Here is some of the information you will find about each plan:

• Price per kWh – What price you will pay per kilowatt-hour. On average, most homes use around 1500 kWh per month or more, depending on the size and energy efficiency.
• Pricing Type – What type of rate the plan uses, whether it is fixed or variable.
• Contract Term – How long the rate is guaranteed not to change.
• Energy Type – Whether the electricity you will be using is renewable or not.
• Cancellation Fee – What you will have to pay if you cancel the contract (if there is one).
• Specials – Any special promotions the company might be offering, such as a rebate.

Once you have made your selection, it’s time to order your service. For most states, to switch your service to a new provider, you will have to provide your current provider and account number (Texas residents do not have to provide an account number). You will also have to enter your service address, contact data, billing details and other pertinent information.

After you have submitted your order, it will be processed by your new electricity provider and they will contact you if any further action is needed on your part. Depending on your state, your new electricity service could start as soon as within three business days, but might take one to two billing cycles.

Georgia Natural Gas First in Georgia to Get Recycled Natural Gas from Landfill

Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) recently announced that it is now the first and only natural gas marketer in Georgia to get recycled natural gas from a landfill, helping to conserve Georgia’s precious natural resources. Specially designed equipment at the landfill collects the methane gas and makes it ready for consumer use.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), landfills are the largest single human source of methane gas emissions in the United States, accounting for 25 percent of all methane sources. Methane is a greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential. Landfill methane gas is generated during the natural process of bacterial decomposition of organic material contained in municipal landfills. New technologies have made it possible to capture and combust the methane gas, breaking it apart to form water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other compounds that are less volatile than methane.

GNG says it began purchasing the recycled gas in early 2009. The landfill is capable of producing enough natural gas to fuel approximately 15,000 Georgia homes and has a potential life cycle of about 20 years. GNG has exclusive rights to purchase all of the recycled gas produced at the landfill through 2011.

Find out if Georgia Natural Gas service is available in your area.

Are Solar Panels for the Birds? New Solar Powered Birdhouse Debuts

Oooms, a Dutch design firm, recently introduced a birdhouse outfitted with a solar panel on the roof. Okay, I can already hear you all asking, “Why would a bird ever need electricity?” As silly as it sounds at first, there’s actually a pretty neat explanation for the solar panel. 

During the day, the birdhouse gathers solar energy via the panel and charges a small battery. Once the sun goes down, a small light attached to the birdhouse’s perch is illuminated. No, it isn’t so the bird can read in bed, it’s actually designed to lure nocturnal bugs right to the opening of the birdhouse—essentially the bird version of late-night pizza delivery.

This seems like a neat way to enjoy having a birdhouse and feeder, without having to ever actually put out any birdseed. That said, I might be a little worried that I was messing with the birds’—and the bugs’—natural behavior just a little too much. What do you think?

If you’re interested, you can purchase your own solar birdhouse from the Oooms store, for the bargain price of 70 Euros.

Image via Oooms

TXU Energy Earns the ENERGY STAR® for Superior Energy Efficiency

TXU Energy recently announced that it has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) prestigious ENERGY STAR for its corporate headquarters. The designation is a national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. This signifies that the building's energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide.

TXU Energy implemented numerous energy efficiency steps that earned the ENERGY STAR rating, including a retrofit of the parking garage to LED lights, upgrade of the building automation system lighting controls, and improved operating procedures.

Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The EPA's national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, bank branches, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, and warehouses.

To learn more about the program, check out The ENERGY STAR for Buildings and Plants.