To be considered a green energy provider, the source of the energy must be non-polluting and environmentally friendly. Several examples of green energy are solar and wind power, hydroelectric and geothermal.

In America the United States Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Center of Resource Solutions acknowledges that the voluntary purchase of electricity from renewable energy sources are considered Green Energy. In 2007 six companies were singles out for the 2007 Green Power Suppliers Awards. The companies that received the awards were Constellation NewEnergy, 3Degrees, Sterling Planet, SunEdison, Pacific Power, Rocky Mountain Power and Silicon Valley Power. These 6 award winners provide over 5 billion kilowatts of electricity a year.

Constellation NewEnergy’s main headquarters is located in Baltimore Maryland. They use a combination of wind and hydropower to give their consumers a viable alternative for their energy needs. There is also the option for consumers and companies to purchase renewable energy certificates. They provide 16 different states with power along with the District of Columbia and 2 Canadian provinces.

3Degrees and Sterling Planet are providers of renewable energy certificates for any and every consumer in America.

SunEdison is North America’s leading solar energy provider. This company manages over 31 megawatts of energy. With power stations in 9 states, this is company is proving Green Energy is a viable option for the future.

Pacific Power is an energy provider for 6 western states. They have a blue-sky program that supplies consumers with energy produced by wind and solar power.

Rocky Mountain Power was a part of Pacific Power until 2006. They offer the same types of green energy as their previous parent company by utilizing wind and solar power to product electricity for its customers.

Silicon Valley Power is a non-profit municipal electric company that is owned and operated by Santa Clara, CA. With this company, the consumer can chose to have 100% of their energy to be supplied from either wind or solar power.

If you aren’t up to date on alternative energy sources, then we here at way to go green dot org have the solution.  Below you’ll find a brief description of some alternative energy sources that you may or may not be aware of.

The sun is an excellent source of energy when it’s shining.  Although some of the energy gets absorbed into the atmosphere and some gets reflected back into space, there is plenty left over for us to utilize.  Usually the suns energy is collected on big solar panels made of silicon and glass.  The energy collected can be used to generate electricity and hot water.

Wind is a powerful force, so why not use it to generate energy?  Usually collected using windmills, wind energy can be turned into mechanical energy for performing work such as pumping water and milling lumber.  The only downfall is that the wind doesn’t blow all the time.

Geothermal energy comes from the heat that is naturally produced by the earth’s core.  Geothermal energy tends to show itself in the form of volcanoes, geysers, and hot springs.  To use this energy, we’ve usually built generators over the top of hot springs.  The water can reach temperatures of 700 degrees Fahrenheit.  Geothermal energy can be used for hot water and the heat can be converted into electricity.

Biomass:
Finally, the last type of alternative energy sources is biomass energy.  Items like wood, garbage, crops, and manure are forms of biomass energy.  They energy from biomass is used to help heat businesses and homes and can also be converted into electricity.