Meet Green Mountain Energy: Westchester, Rockland's Newest Green Energy Provider

Westchester and Rockland counties can now help reduce carbon emissions and the country’s reliance on fossil fuels by powering their homes and businesses with clean electricity from a local sustainable energy provider.

Green Mountain Energy—a leading provider of solar, wind and hydropower electricity and other renewable energy products—recently moved into 445 Hamilton Ave. in White Plains. 

“Westchester residents can be a part of this solution—everyone who pays a Con Edison bill,” said Doug Semmes, Green Mountain Energy’s New York director of sales. 

Meet Green Mountain Energy

Semmes said that since the company is expanding into Rockland, White Plains was the perfect crossroads to allow Green Mountain Energy to provide coverage to both counties. 

“White Plains is clearly a hub,” said Semmes. “We’ve had such a great reception with people choosing pollution-free electricity.”

Since Green Mountain Energy—which has offices in Texas, Portland and Manhattan—was founded in 1997, its customers have helped to remove enough carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to equal, they say: 1.3 million cars off the road for a year; more than 624 million households not using their lights for a week; or recycling 36 billion cans or 5.9 pounds of newspaper; and helped spur the creation of 50 new wind and solar farms.

"Our mission," said Semmes, is to change "the way power is made." 

How Does It Work?

The way it works is that when you purchase an electricity product from Green Mountain Energy you are ensuring that the power you pay for on your Con Edison or your Orange & Rockland Utilities bill will pull energy from wind and water power sources in upstate New York into the electricity grid to make-up for the amount of power you use.

Semmes said that the cost for Green Mountain Energy’s pollution-free energy is comparable to other energy costs. According to the company’s website, Rockland residents who purchase the “Pollution Free Smart 6” package at 9.9 cents per kilowatt hour for a six months at a fixed rate, for a whole year will avoid 890 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to: the amount of carbon dioxide that 53 trees could absorb; 980 miles driven or 350 recycled newspapers.

“If someone has Con Edison as their supplier they will see a slight premium,” said Semmes. “Most homes that difference is going to be very small and averaged out across several months.”

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

Customers who pay an extra $5 on their electricity bill each month can join the “Green Mountain Energy Sun Club” which goes toward funding small solar installations for New York non-profit organizations.

Local non-profits can apply to win a solar panel installation at gmsunclub.com. Homeowners can also enter to win a $15,000 solar installation or three free years of solar electricity by clicking here. 

Green Mountain Energy also installs solar panels, has electricity plans for  and offers carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates—for those who want to calculate and offset activities that impact the environment, like driving, flying for businesses or individual use. 

The company just released its annual sustainability report (watch the YouTube video for more on this), which analyzes the impact its customers have and its own corporate impact—calculating things like corporate air and vehicle emissions, employee community emissions, mobile source emissions and more.

Green Mountain Energy says it does not leave a carbon footprint and is a carbon neutral enterprise.

“It adds transparency to our business practices,” said Semmes. “We aren't just suggesting that they make the green choice, but we also walk that talk within our business practices.”

Green Mountain Energy is also hiring in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City and in other locations.

Like us on  Facebook  and follow us on  Twitter