Austin, TX, April 19, 2004 – Green Mountain Energy Company, Mothers for Clean Air in Houston and Sustainable Dallas have teamed up on Earth Day up to encourage individuals in Texas to help reduce air pollution. Individuals can help improve air quality by making choices that reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other substances that impact the air we breathe. According to the American Lung Association, Houston ranks as the number five most ozone polluted city while Dallas ranks twelfth.

“Air quality is a serious problem in Houston, especially for our children,” said Jane Laping, executive director of Mothers for Clean Air. “And according to EPA data, we won’t be close to reaching our clean air goals until at least 2016.”

Also according to the EPA, the average U.S. household is responsible for the emission of almost 60 tons of CO2 annually. This is a similar impact to driving nearly 133,000 miles in a year. By reducing the amount of CO2 and other emissions put into the air each year, an individual or household can help improve air quality.

Texans can help reduce their impact on the environment this Earth Day through three simple yet powerful choices:

1) Making smart energy decisions. Many people don’t realize that making electricity is the leading cause of industrial air pollution in the U.S. By purchasing 100 percent wind power in Texas from Green Mountain Energy Company for a year, a Texas household (based on a monthly electricity usage of 1,000 kwh) could offset over 17,000 pounds of CO2, as much as taking a single car off the road for one year. This is a significant reduction in the average American household’s share of CO2 emissions. The over production of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is largely believed to be responsible for global warming. To learn more visit http://www.greenmountain.com.

2) Making smart transportation decisions. Hybrid gas/electric cars are more affordable and accessible than ever. The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are at the top of the EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide and get roughly 57-60 miles per gallon in the city. Better fuel economy means lower CO2 production. In fact, a five-mpg difference equates to about 20,000 pounds of CO2 over the lifetime of the vehicle. Motor vehicles are responsible for approximately 49 percent of nitrous oxide pollution, the primary ingredient responsible for ground level ozone pollution. To learn more visit http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.

3) Reducing, Reusing, Recycling, and Rebuying. According to Keep Texas Beautiful, Texans throw away enough trash to fill the Astrodome in fewer than 10 days. Each ton of recycled paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space; 7,000 gallons of water; 17 trees; and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity. To learn more visit www.texasrecyclesday.org.

“As Texans celebrate Earth Day, we hope they will consider the impact their decisions can make on the environment,” said Ross Haskell, Texas region general manager for Green Mountain Energy Company. “Signing up for cleaner electricity from sources such as the wind is one of the most powerful choices an individual can make.”

Green Mountain Energy Company is also donating $500 dollars to Mothers for Clean Air and Sustainable Dallas to continue local education efforts around air quality in Houston and Dallas.

Green Mountain Energy Company has been offering 100 percent pollution-free electricity in Texas since April of 2001. Texans have widely embraced cleaner electricity and their support has led to the recent development of the Green Mountain Energy^® Wind Farm at Brazos, a 160 megawatt facility that will generate enough energy to power over 30,000 average Texas homes per year.

Interested customers can take action today by calling 1-866-GREEN TX or visiting http://www.greenmountain.com to sign up for cleaner electricity in Texas.

About Green Mountain Energy Company

Founded in 1997 to “change the way power is made”, Green Mountain Energy Company (http://www.greenmountain.com) sells cleaner electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass and natural gas to residential, business, institutional and governmental customers. About 600,000 in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas have chosen Green Mountain Energy^® electricity, which is dramatically less-polluting than typical system power in those states. The company is based in Austin, Texas.