Have you ever thought about what electricity really is? As one of New York’s pre-eminent suppliers of electricity, IDT Energy thinks about what electricity is all the time. First of all, it is important to realize that electricity is more accurately called an energy carrier, or a secondary source of energy. The primary source of energy is converted into electricity. The main sources used to create electricity are the flowing of water, coal, wind, sun and others. These primary sources can either be renewable or not, but in the case of electricity it is neither. Electricity must be created.
What does this mean for our lives? Before electricity was brought directly to our homes people used the primary sources of energy for their daily needs. Light was created with candles or kerosene lamps. Heat was created with coal or wood, which was also used for cooking.
Today, IDT Energy brings the clean and easy to use power of electricity right to our homes, making our lives healthier, easier, more convenient, and more fun, too.
Originally scheduled to last from February 12, 2010 until February 21st, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority decided to extend the “Great Appliance Swap Out” program until the funding runs out. The program was endowed with $17 million in order to give rebates to consumers who purchase energy-efficient appliances including refrigerators, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers. So far the NYSERDA has distributed up to $555 rebate per purchase amounting to over $7.7 million in rebates so far. New Yorkers can continue benefiting from this unique program until all the funding is gone.
According to analysis of the Renewable Energy Policy Project, 70% of the labor needed to produce both wind and solar energy is from manufacturing of the components of the machines which harness the energy, such as producing wind turbines or solar panels.
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.
In Rockland and Orange Counties, New York, 
Until relatively recently New York State Residents were not able to choose their energy supplier. They were limited by whoever was the utility company responsible for supplying the power to whatever area they were living in.
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.