Dive Summary:

• Houston will lead among big American cities in the use of renewable energy. In the heart of oil country, Houston has announced a radically different direction from its deep fossil fuel roots.
• This July 1, Houston will begin purchasing more than 140 megawatts of renewable power from Reliant Energy, a unit of NRG Energy. This will fuel half of the city’s power demand, enough to electrify more than 55,000 homes.
• The shift will cost the city an extra $2 million as it purchases the renewable energy through special credits, rather than constructing new wind and solar power generators.

From the article:
“…Under this program, sellers undergo annual verification of their renewable energy supply and sales, ensuring that the energy was actually generated by resources that are eligible under the Green-e Energy National Standard.”