Well, I got my electric bill from Green Mountain for June.
$302.41. That's right. You heard me. I've had the A/C turned up to 80°, we turn the lights off when we're not using them, and it's still freakin' $302.41.
At 14.839¢ per kwH, I can't afford to be socially conscious! This is ridiculous. We're in the middle of a drought and a heat wave. It's been 90° or above since February. Hot air flows from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains are making the Midwest one dry, hot belt of exhaustion. The last thing Texas needs is more carbon dioxide, soot, nitrogen oxide, and sulfer dioxide in the air. Everything's looking very brown right now - the air, the earth, the water.
But the state is being run by conservative Republicans with oil money, so what do they do? They provide favorable conditions for the oil and gas companies, which allows them to charge 10% below the Price To Beat. On average, 1,000 kwH would be $148 per month from Green Mountain, compared to the $135 from Direct Energy.
Whether it's
BioWillie going in our cars, or
Green Mountain Energy powering our televisions, renewable energy is our only hope for restoring the damage done to our environment.
I had to switch to Direct Energy. I didn't want to. I like using clean energy. But this way I save $100 a month on electricity. And hundreds of thousands of Texans across the state are making the very same decision - short term cash savings over long-term destruction of our environment.
If you haven't heard of Green Mountain Energy, it's an electric company that only uses wind, water, solar, biomass, geothermal, and natural gas for energy production. With money generated from their customers, they've created 13 wind and solar facilities across the nation, generating 180,000 kwH of renewable energy. That much energy from coal or petroleum would have generated 214,000 metric tons of CO2.
Not only do they provide renewable energy, but customers across Texas also have the opportunity to donate cash to the Big Texas Sun Club and support new solar generation here in Texas. If I were still using Green Mountain for my energy, I'd pay that $5.00 a month to become a member. It's a great deal.
If Green Mountain Energy were subsidized by the Texas state government so that it was as cheap as Direct Energy, think of the environmental savings! Green Mountain would have the money to build more wind and solar power generators, which would make their energy generation even cheaper.
I don't believe for a second that current Texas politicians give a rat's ass about the environment. They've got plenty of money from those lobbyists to run their air conditioners in their Hummers, and keep it cranked down to 65° in their glass box office buildings.
Me, I'm waiting until we can get a new broom and sweep out all the trash. Come on, November! Maybe we can get somebody in office who'll do something smart for Texas for a change, instead of redistricting so they can keep the power they have, and screwing up the education system for years to come.
I think Kinky Friedman might be the answer. Here's what he says about the energy crisis:
Renewable Energy
It's time for Texas to reclaim bragging rights as an energy icon. As governor, Kinky will accomplish that by encouraging investment and innovation in new methods of electricity generation and new fuels like biodiesel.
Think these are fringe technologies? Think again. Wind power plants, solar power arrays, and landfill gas capture systems are already in operation across Texas in cities from Fort Stockton to Fort Worth. Texas has been called "the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy," and firms from TXU to Kyocera are already clamoring for a piece of the action.
• Texas is #1 in renewable energy. Developing our state's staggering potential in wind, solar, and biofuels will lead to a more independent Texas and help every Texan's bottom line.
• Biodiesel -- it's good enough for Willie Nelson's tour bus, and the city of Denton is using it to fuel their entire fleet of diesel trucks. Biodiesel is fuel you can grow. That's good for farmers, good for the air, good for the Texas energy industry and good for Texans. With biodiesel, everybody wins but OPEC.
Crossposted at TexasKos