There are a lot of aspects of green living in which we’ve made huge strides, but still have a long way to go. One area in which we seem to struggle, though, is renewable energy. Our reliance on coal and natural gas still accounts for two-thirds of electricity production in the United States, while renewable sources only account for thirteen percent.

That said, the US is second in the world in terms of renewable electricity generation, and we’re steadily moving forward on that front thanks to companies like Green Mountain Power. As a pioneer of the green energy movement, GMP is the first public utility company to attain certified B Corp status, and is setting a shining example in Vermont of the kind of renewable energy efforts that could be made around the country.

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Green Mountain currently serves 75 percent of Vermont, making it the state’s largest utility, but in the context of the major utility companies, GMP is actually quite small. The focus is on quality over quantity, and even though it may seem counterintuitive for an energy company to be encouraging customers to use less energy, GMP wants customers to understand how they can better control their energy usage, and get as much as possible from renewable sources.

This commitment to educating the public and helping people make better choices at home is key to the GMP strategy.

GMP has built Vermont’s largest wind farm, a system-wide smart grid, and New England’s Solar Capital

President and CEO Mary Powell has been with GMP for nearly fifteen years, and was responsible for restructuring the company in a way that transformed both its internal culture and its methods and quality of service. Under her direction, GMP has built Vermont’s largest wind farm, a system-wide smart grid, and New England’s Solar Capital. Powell’s goal is to help usher utility companies into the twenty-first century by making Green Mountain a role model that other companies can aspire to emulate.

Growing and Evolving

As GMP is continually developing and improving its services, some new initiatives and partnerships are coming into play. Last month, power management company Eaton announced that it is working with Green Mountain Power to help modernize some of its equipment and facilities, including infrastructure upgrades to a century-old hydroelectric station. These upgrades will help the station improve its efficiency, bringing it more into line with the rest of GMPs current fleet of hydroelectric facilities.

There’s also some new consumer-side technology that is helping boost GMP’s effectiveness as a green energy provider. The E-Homes initiative is offering GMP customers a total at-home energy upgrade. The program includes installation of smart heat pumps that reduce fossil fuel use, other smart devices around the home, and weatherizing improvements on both the inside and outside of the house.

The program includes installation of smart heat pumps, other smart devices around the home, and weatherizing improvements

In addition to home upgrades, there is also a new GMP app to help consumers monitor, learn about, and adjust their energy usage. The app, developed by iFactor and available for both iOS and Android, assists GMP customers by showing them real-time energy usage, and also allows them instant access to outage information, billing details, payment options, and account management.

Customers without smartphones can still receive outage information and other alerts by standard text message on any cellphone. As the new smartphone app develops in line with the E-Homes initiative, the idea is to provide an online portal through which all smart devices in the home can be monitored and adjusted through the app.

Well-Earned Accolades

GMP has gone from strength to strength over the past half-decade, and the last year in particular has enjoyed a lot of well-deserved recognition for its work as a leading provider of green energy solutions. In addition to the official B Corp certification in October 2014, the company also won the 2014 Utility Solar Champion award for efforts to bring solar power into the mainstream.

In addition to the official B Corp certification in October 2014, the company also won the 2014 Utility Solar Champion award

Green Mountain Power wants not only to be the best public utility in the United States, but the best small company in the country, period. The GMP vision is to change the role of electric utilities in homes across America, and empower users to have greater control over not only the quantity of energy they use, but the quality.

This dedication to educating the public on the environmental and economic benefits of green energy is a great way to start getting people to care more about where the energy they use comes from, and how it affects the world at large. As a B Corp, Green Mountain Power is looking forward to continuing its work at the forefront of energy innovation.