Viridian Energy, Leader in Green Retail Energy Market, Releases Second Annual Sustainability Report

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viridian Energy, the leading provider of affordable, green retail energy, today released its second annual Sustainability Report. The report, which includes an opinion letter from Ernst & Young, provides details of the company’s green power purchasing and the impact Viridian’s commitment to more renewable energy has on the environment, the economy, and local communities. Viridian's rapidly increasing customer base has led to an astonishing 4,750% year-over-year growth in customer energy usage. The report shows that the company's voluntary renewable energy purchases resulted in 208,285,376 pounds of carbon emissions avoided.

“Though our industry does not require this level of accountability, we want to be very clear to the public, our customers and other companies that we deliver on our vision and promises. Our Sustainability Report does this, while also providing a standard for responsible reporting,” said Michael Fallquist, founder and CEO of Viridian. “This year, our report demonstrates in real terms how each customer’s choice contributes not only to cleaner air, but also to job creation in our local communities. Ultimately this trend can help drive our nation toward greater energy independence.”

The report includes an in-depth description of the preceding year’s voluntary and mandatory renewable energy reporting in all of Viridian’s markets. Readers of the report will see each of the facilities where Viridian purchased Renewable Energy Certificates in a detailed list broken down by state and source type (wind, solar, hydro, etc.). In addition, the report helps customers identify exactly how their electricity usage translates into benefits for their local economy and environment.

In fact, the report tells the story of Viridian customers avoiding more than 208 million pounds of carbon emissions for the company’s 977,241 megawatt-hours of power served. In tangible terms, this had the equivalent positive environmental impact of planting more than 2.4 million trees, not using 10 million gallons of gas, or recycling more than 1 billion 2-liter plastic bottles.

Viridian’s commitment to affordable green energy set a precedent that has resulted in substantial growth and market leadership. Viridian believes that detailed and transparent reporting leads to greater customer understanding and acceptance, helping to drive consumer demand for greener energy. It will also set a standard for corporate responsibility in the burgeoning retail energy space.

“As our country continues to invest time and resources into developing a more sustainable future, each individual customer plays a critical role in driving demand for more responsible choices,” said Fallquist.

“Viridian is proud to be leading the industry by example. Ultimately this publication is not just a report of our company’s action – it’s a report of our customers’ collective demand for quality and the impact we are having together.”

To access Viridian Energy’s Sustainability Report, please visit
http://www.viridian.com/assets/marketing/Sustainability_Report_2011.pdf

About Viridian Energy

Viridian Energy is a socially-responsible retail energy supplier that provides natural gas and greener electricity at affordable prices. The company services commercial and residential electricity customers in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania with energy derived from renewable sources. In all of its markets, Viridian offers consumers discounted electricity rates that comply with a higher renewable energy content standard. Located in Norwalk, Conn., Viridian was founded with the vision to empower its customers to make a significant collective impact through a relatively small individual choice simply by switching energy providers.