Opening up the power supply industry to competition through deregulation not only allows individual consumers to choose their energy providers, but they now can also choose whether to support more environmentally friendly sources for producing electricity.

IDT Energy has a ‘Buy Green’ option for its customers. Choosing this option means that a certain amount of the electricity a consumer receives is produced from sources which use our natural resources in a way that does no harm to the environment. These sources may include wind power, running water, solar power and organic matter, which are all renewable and are relatively clean compared to the more standard sources of electricity which often include the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.

IDT Energy is proud to say that they have joined the State to help create a center for environmentally friendly technologies here in New York. Within 10 years New York hopes to obtain 25% of its power from green sources, and IDT is playing an important role in this development.

In Rockland and Orange Counties, New York, IDT Energy is one of two providers of electricity which is generated by wind and water to consumers who are served by Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.

The good news is that this green solution is actually coming down in price, making this alternative source for electricity production more attractive to consumers.

It is a sign that renewable energy is becoming a viable alternative to traditional forms of electricity production as business in this sector increases, while the costs goe down.

This is the first time that the green power alternative was actually cheaper than power produced by coal, natural gas, nuclear power or hydro plants.

The United States House of Representatives passed legislation in early July, 2009 creating an energy standard requiring utilities to acquire at least 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020.

The Senate will debate in the fall similar legislation which would create demand for up to 100 GW of new wind capacity by the same year, 2020, if it passes, which is not at all certain.

“That would show that the U.S. has a significant dedication to renewables over the next decade,” says Vic Abate, the head of the renewable energy generation unit at General Electric.

It is projected that the development of wind power projects in 2009 will total less than 6,500 MW, which is about 25% than last year, and that’s according to a “best case” scenario. Although wind turbine manufacturing facilities are still being constructed many suppliers have been laying off workers as demand as flattened.

The wind industry is looking to the government for its salvation. The AWEA (American Wind Energy Association) believes that the United States needs to enact a renewable energy standard forcing utilities to create a minimum amount of their electricity from green and renewable sources.

“Tax credits are good for development but not for building the manufacturing chain long term,” says Kathy Belyeu of AWEA.

—–

Learn more about clean energy here at IDT Energy

The recent economic downturn has had a stifling effect on the advancement of wind power projects in the second quarter of 2009. According to the American Wind Energy Association, only 1,200 megawatts of new projects were completed in that quarter, as compared to almost 10 GW completed in the previous 12 months. That turns out to be a reduction down to about half the average of completed wind power projects.

Wind power development in the United States has made the U.S. the largest wind market in the world. This fast development was fueled mostly by 30% tax breaks which appealed to big investment banks that have a fondness for tax equity investing deals. Now that the economy is in the pits and many of those banks no longer exist and others are more cautious about their investing despite the tax breaks, the wind industry has taken its share of the economic blows.

A committee of the U.S. Senate has decided to create a bank under the auspices of the Energy Department to distribute government loans and loan guarantees for projects which promote green energy using advanced technology.

The goal of this initiative is to support technologies that are environmentally friendly which also diversifies the country’s supply of energy and also reduces dangerous carbon emissions.

The Congress will appropriate about $10 billion to this new agency/bank.

The committee is hoping to finish the wording for the energy bill before May 22, the day that the Memorial Day recess begins.

New York State residents can choose from a large list of ESCOs, Energy Supply Companies, including IDT Energy, Green Mountain Energy, ConEdison Solutions and many others.  Among the benefits of this freedom to choose is that the consumer can decide to support the development of green power- renewable energy sources which generate electricity without damaging the environment.

These renewable energy sources include biomass, wind, solar, solid waste, with the majority supplied from hydropower.

For only a slightly higher cost in your electricity bill you will be:
1.    Protecting the environment from the stresses of fossil fuel use.
2.    Diversifying fuel supply which makes the New York’s electric system more reliable and helps stabilize energy prices.
3.    Helping insure that money spent on energy stays in New York since the need for imported fossil fuels is reduced.
4.    Helping to create jobs by encouraging investment in environmentally friendly producers.
5.    Helping to improve air quality which reduces illnesses.
6.    Leaving a cleaner world for our children.

There are many Green Power service providers to choose from in New York State. Get in touch with one of them and begin to make a difference, in our world and the world we bequeath to our children.

IDT Energy

1-877-887-6866            www.IDTenergy.com

Juice Energy Inc.

1-888-925-8423              www.juice-inc.com

Sterling Planet

1-877-457-2306             www.sterlingplanet.com

Green Mountain Energy Company

1-800-810-7300            www.greenmountain.com

ConEdison Solutions

1-888-320-8991             www.ConEdSolutions.com