Austin, TX, April 20, 2005 – As part of its corporate commitment to sustainable business practices and focus on improving the community in which it does business, Green Mountain Energy Company today announced its participation in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) “Climate Leaders Program”. Climate Leaders is a voluntary industry-government partnership that encourages companies to develop long-term comprehensive climate change strategies and set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. Starting in 2005, Green Mountain Energy Company plans to offset a full 100 percent of its carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The company’s commitment to Climate Leaders is to offset CO₂ emissions through 2010.

"Green Mountain Energy Company's voluntary participation in the EPA's Climate Leaders program demonstrates a serious commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives," said Kathleen Hogan, Director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnership Division. "Green Mountain's aggressive greenhouse gas reduction target will help lead the way in improving our global environment.”

As part of its mission to change the way power is made, Green Mountain Energy Company feels it is critical to embrace its role as a responsible corporate citizen. Since 1998, Green Mountain Energy Company has calculated CO₂ emissions resulting from its daily business activities, including office energy and paper use, employee commuting, and corporate air travel. Through its Corporate Climate Mitigation Program, the company has offset half of each year’s emissions.

“It’s critical we do our part to have a positive impact in the environment and in the community,” said Gillan Taddune, chief environmental officer of Green Mountain Energy Company. “We consistently demonstrate this commitment by instituting a variety of internal programs all of which reduce our carbon footprint. Additionally, EPA reviews our emissions to ensure they are accurately calculated and reported.”

Partners in the Climate Leaders program set a corporate-wide GHG reduction goal and inventory their emissions to measure progress. By reporting inventory data to EPA, Partners create a lasting record of their accomplishments. Partners also identify themselves as corporate environmental leaders and strategically position themselves as climate change policy continues to unfold.

Prior to 2005, Green Mountain Energy Company had already implemented a number of sustainable business practices to reduce its impact on the environment, including: