Archive for Green Energy
Texas Electric: How Wind Makes Electricity
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Wind energy is a growing green energy option for many Texans. In the last four years, in fact, wind turbines have provided a significant portion of the state’s electricity. But, have you ever wondered how wind produces electricity? Here we explain how.
Wind is simply air in motion. The surface of the earth is made up of different elements, ie, land and water, which absorb the heat of the sun at different rates.
During daylight hours, the air above land heats up faster than the air over water. This warm land expands and rises. When this happens, cooler air rushes in to take its place. This creates wind. At nighttime, the process is reversed because air cools more rapidly over land than water.
This makes wind a renewable (ie, green) energy source because as long as the sun shines, wind will be produced.
To produce electricity, wind machines (aka wind turbines) use blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy. When the wind flows over the blades, this creates what’s known as “lift,” akin to the effect wind has on airplane wings. Wind turbine blades are connected to a drive shaft, which turns an electric generator and makes electricity.
If you’re interested in this green energy option, shop around for Texas electricity suppliers who provide it.
Another Way to Bring in the Green
Going green in your energy options is not the only way to save some green (money). If you’re on a prepaid electric service plan, for example, you are paying more for your energy.
Solution: Switch to a conventional electric service plan. If you’re worried about having to pay a deposit, take comfort in the fact that there are low-deposit and no-deposit electric plans offered by energy suppliers that have been serving Texans for decades.
For example, the LITE-UP Texas Program. It’s a no-deposit electric service plan that gives customers a discount on their energy bills every May through September. Even if you have to save up to pay a deposit to take advantage of energy savings like this, it’s worth it because you not only get the lowest rates around, you get the best service as well.
StarTex Power Connects Morton Ranch Residents to Green Energy Source
Posted by: | CommentsLocal business provides eco-friendly power to save money, reduce carbon footprint
HOUSTON, July 14, 2009 – StarTex Power, a leading provider of retail electricity in Texas, announced today that it will offer green electricity to each home in Morton Ranch-Section 3, a revolutionary new home development in Katy, Texas. The newest addition to the Morton Ranch communities offers a series of newly constructed homes that offer custom features, increased energy efficiency and enhanced equity, allowing residents to enjoy all the perks of modern living while reducing their impact on the environment.
We’re pleased to connect the new U-Build-It residents of Morton Ranch-Section 3 and customers throughout Houston with a green energy alternative that can help reduce their impact on our environment and natural resources,” said Preston Ochsner, vice president of sales, StarTex Power. “Our work with various builders, developers and other environmentally-conscious suppliers in the Morton Ranch community will result in high quality, energy efficient homes in one of Houston’s most rapidly-growing areas.
In addition to a green energy alternative, StarTex provides its customers with the “Power to Connect” to the customer service and competitive rates they’d expect from Houston’s fastest growing woman-owned business. Serving over 100,000 customers, StarTex Power is one of Houston’s leading retail electricity providers with a reputation for quality, service and proven success.
StarTex Power was chosen by Houston-based Choice Energy Services, an over-the-counter energy broker, to power the Morton Ranch-Section 3 development. The company was selected from an elite group of retail electricity providers for its ability to provide competitively-priced green power during development and upon completion of construction, as well as for its unique ability to meet customer service needs with precision, speed and expertise.
At Choice Energy Services, we only do business with the top-tier retail electricity companies in the state, and StarTex Power is one of those companies,” said John Elias, energy broker/consultant, Choice Energy Services. “Both Choice Energy Services and StarTex Power have an unwavering commitment to customer service and industry excellence, making this a natural partnership for both companies.
Morton Ranch construction will be overseen by a partnership between U-Build-It and Wallace-Bajjali Development Partners, a Houston-based real estate development corporation. The result of this partnership and their work with companies like StarTex Power is an attractive, energy efficient option for today’s homebuyers interested in building energy efficient, cost-saving homes.
To connect with StarTex Power and learn about fixed-rate plans, green energy alternatives and much more, visit www.StarTexPower.com.
About StarTex Power
StarTex Power is a Texas-based and Texas-owned Retail Electric Provider. Our management team has over 60 years of experience in the deregulated utility industry. At StarTex Power we are committed to establishing the highest standards in the industry with competitive prices, easy to understand billing, as well as superior customer service. To find out more information on StarTex Power visit their web site at www.StarTexPower.com.
Green Electricity in Texas
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For those who have been considering making the jump over to renewable Texas electricity even if it costs a little bit more there are a few things to know first before you get started. Renewable Energy in Texas is not piped directly from the power generating facility to your home when you sign up on a renewable electricity plan. There are a few things that happen that are related to virtual paper transaction and out of state renewable energy sources when you purchase this energy. Most of the clean renewable energy you purchase may be land fill gas and wood garbage. Through renewable energy credits that allow an energy provider to virtually buy credit for wind and solar energy they can sell you a renewable energy plan that has little to do with how you may perceive.
Did anyone see those T Boone Pickens commercials where he was trying to rally people behind a plan that would get the government to help him send his wind turbine energy from West Texas to Dallas and Houston areas. This would be a plan that most people think is already happening when they purchase renewable green energy. The truth is wind and solar energy is not being piped into the ERCOT electric grid and reaching Dallas and Houston homes. Your energy is being produced by natural gas and coal fired power plants. Through REC’s and virtual paper transaction you are signing up on a renewable electricity plan but this is not exactly the ideal situation most people want to see when it comes to cleaning up our state.
Are we saying that Green electricity in Texas is a bad idea? No we are not saying that you should not sign up on a green electricity rate plan. We are just explaining that the renewable energy you are purchasing is not how it may seem to be. That wind and solar generated power was likely not created in the state of Texas and if it was it was not by a power plant near you. The fact is that Renewable Energy Credits also known as REC’s do help in saving the environment but much more needs to be done so that we can lower the cost of wind and solar by having this power directly delivered onto our ERCOT electric grid from the power source. Then we can say that, yes, some green renewable energy is being sent from wind turbines and solar powered power plants and onto the electric grid that feeds the electricity that powers your home.
November 2008 Dallas Residential Electric Rates
Posted by: | CommentsWhat to do When Locking in Dallas Residential Electric Rates for November 2008?
The energy markets have been steadily declining and have started to hit some historical short term lows. If this trend continues we could see some very good residential electric rates but trying to pick the bottom of a trend is an impossible task. If you are waiting to do something I would recommend making your hunch and going ahead and signing up on a term even if just for a few months. The reason you should lock into something is due to the high price of a month to month rate. Residential electric providers in Dallas will generally offer a low first month rate on a month to month type of electric service plan but will then raise the rate dramatically after that first month. To avoid a high rate hike you should lock into some type of monthly term. If you are risk averse I would go with atleast a 1 year plan and if you are willing to roll the dice and try again in 3 months I would go with a shorter term like a 3 month or 6 month fixed rate.
November 2008 Residential Electric Rates Comparison Chart
The residential Dallas electric rates below serve as a historical marker of where rates have come as of November 2 2008. These rates will most likely change as the month progresses but you will find indicative prices as of Nov 2 2008 to help you in your shopping and comparing process. If you wish to see current Dallas electric rates we recommend checking this page out: Dallas residential electric rates
Dallas Residential Electric Rate Chart
If you are looking for a comparison of Dallas commercial electric service you can find it here: Dallas Commercial Electric Service
If you were looking for Residential Houston Electric Service you will find it on this page: Houston Residential Electricity Comparison
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October 2008 Houston Residential Electric Rates
Posted by: | CommentsHurricane Ike, Electric Comparison, and Relief from Summer Rates
Houston had a major issue with hurricane Ike this last month and surprisingly it had little effect on electric rates. A lot of oil and gas infrastructure was shut down but nothing was destroyed. This still usually has a negative impact on the price of electricity but because oil and natural gas is being swayed by several other factors in the trading commodities market the electric rates did not spike up.
Electric rates in Houston have come down way below their highs this summer when rates were at historical all time highs. That price spike in the summer was related to natural gas prices rising in the commodities sector beyond any level they have seen before. This had about a 90% correlation with the price of electricity. To complicate matters Houston residential electric rates were higher then usualy because several providers had bought electricity on the MCPE ERCOT market and could not meet their financial responsibilities. These electric companies also had no hedging in place so if an electric customer in Houston was on a variable electric rate they may have seen their rate tripple during this time.
Electric Rates Look Much Better From Summer Prices
Take a look at our Houston Texas electric rate comparison. We have rates listed from cheapest to most expensive. Most rates are fixed and there is a designation in the chart to differentiate between a fixed rate or a variable rate. I do not recommend signing a variable Houston electric rate contract as it is subject to change without notice. You may click on the links in the chart below and sign up online at these discounted online electric rate prices.
Houston Residential Electric Rate Comparison Chart
NFL Broadcast Turns Lights Out During Eagles Cowboys Game
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Green Energy Is Big Business
The NFL on Sunday November 4 2007 decided to turn off their lights in the studio and turn the NBC logo green. They said that by turning the logo green for all the TV viewers out there they could effectively power a typical US home for about 1 month. I went to their website today and they have it branded green as well. This green energy theme has been running on several stations for a few weeks now. I believe it has something to do with green energy lobbyists or perhaps energy companies who want to advertise how they are improving the environment. Which ever is the real answer we are seeing a burgeoning green energy industry. This green energy business is a several billion dollar industry and however good it may seem there are many many businesses exploiting it both politically and to add a little green to the bottom line.
Are People Confusing Global Warming And Green Energy?
With Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth movie and the British now saying they will not show the movie in their classrooms because of several innacuracy's and a US political agenda we begin to wonder how the US has gotten so caught up with this global warming idea. The ability to go back and forth between global warming and green energy makes it seem that we are talking about the same thing. The truth is that green energy and not polluting the environment is a real issue while global warming is a hoax. To confuse the two is the stuff retards are made of. CO2 going into the atmosphere is not pollution and does not create a global warming effect. 99 percent of our CO2 comes from plants and the ocean. CO2 is a necessary part of the environment and having more of it does not hurt the environmeny. A coal fired power plant spewing out actual pollution however is a concern because it really does cause harm to the environment. Finding green energy solutions is an important part to fighting such things as coal power plants.
Let's Get It Straight Finally
So let's get it straight. Green energy is the real issue and we should be creating more of it. Global warming and creating more CO2 should not be confused with alternative green energy. Wouldn't it be great to finally debunk Al Gore's conspiracy about global warming. There actually is a video out that the BBC bought that counters Al Gore's claims. It should be coming out in the next year and hopefully will get a wider viewing. I know that many of us would watch it and give our two cents to give an alternate point of view to this ridiculous political issue. Maybe then we can start talking about taxes, social welfare, small business laws and other important topics we actually care about.