The switch is on . . .

What is Green Power Switch?

Green Power Switch is a renewable energy initiative that offers consumers in the Tennessee Valley a choice in the type of power they buy.  TVA and local power companies, working in cooperation with the environmental community, developed Green Power Switch, as a way to bring green power electricity that's generated by cleaner renewable resources to Valley consumers.  Gibson EMC is one of 46 public power companies in the TVA service area that is selling energy generated by solar, wind, and landfill gas resources during a year-long market test that began April 22, 2000.  TVA expects Green Power Switch to grow throughout 2002 with Valley-wide implementation by 2003.

Making the Green Power Switch is as easy as flipping a light switch.  You can buy green power in 150-kilowatt-hour blocks (about 12 percent of a typical household's monthly energy use).  Each block you sign up to purchase will add $4 to your monthly power bill, and you can buy just one block or as many as you like.  The green power you pay for will be added to TVA's electric system as part of the Valley's total power mix.

Why does green power cost more?  Because while renewable resources like sunlight may be free, the technology used to capture the energy these resources produce is still more expensive than traditional power generation methods.   By choosing to pay a little more for Green Power Switch, you help advance the technology and increase the amount of electricity generated from cleaner sources.

In the spirit of renewability, the dollars from every block of green power you buy go directly back into Green Power Switch. 

Where are Green Power Switch's renewable resources located?  Three wind-powered turbines are located on Buffalo Mountain in Anderson County, Tennessee. Eleven solar generation sites are located in the service areas of participating power distributers. Gibson EMC's solar site is located at Gibson County High School. Two sources of methane gas are the Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro and the City of Memphis Wastewater treatment facility, which produces a methane by-product that's co-fired at TVA's Allen Fossil Plant.

How do I sign up for Green Power Switch?  If you are a Gibson EMC customer you may sign up online or contact any Gibson EMC Customer Service Center.