Ways electric company is providing greener and cleaner energy solutions

Increased awareness of environmental issues is driving consumers to seek cleaner and renewable sources of electricity.

PRINCETON (Reuters) - How one electricity company is getting greener and providing more clean energy solutions for customers.

Increased awareness of environmental issues is driving consumers to seek cleaner and renewable sources of electricity.

In the wake of Earth Day, consumers and businesses are reassessing their energy use. NRG, a leading electricity provider in the USA, is responding to this need by offering more choice to both its business and residential customers and at same time working towards its own ambitious emission reduction targets.

As the company‘s latest sustainability report shows, NRG is transforming itself by embracing the megatrends impacting the power sector.

For NRG CEO Mauricio Gutierrez, energy providers need to lead the way to sustainability for both business and residential customers. "Climate change is the biggest challenge of this generation and the decarbonization of our economy is a moral imperative.

Renewables are becoming more affordable and at NRG, we want to make it simpler and easier for our customers to access renewable energy," says Gutierrez."

NRG has reduced its own carbon emissions 37% from a 2014 baseline by embracing a three-part strategy; aging power stations that are no longer economic are being retired, while others are being retrofitted to accept lower carbon emitting fuels or the installation of carbon capture technologies, and the company is innovating new solutions to make it easier for its customers to access the clean energy plans and solutions they want. "The power sector is actually entering into an inflection point," Gutierrez says.

"There are three main trends that I see in the power sector. The first one is the decarbonization of our economy led by renewable energy. The second one is the Internet of Things, the digitization of everything. And then finally consumers want the customization of products and services.", he added.

NRG is already three-quarters of the way to their 2030 carbon emission goal and were awarded a Climate Leadership Award in 2017 for GHG goal-setting.

NRG‘s own headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, serves as a showcase for the customized energy solutions the company offers its customers. Among the many energy solutions are nearly 2,500 solar panels installed on both the roof and over the parking lot. There is an onsite combined heat and power plant that heats and cools the interior.

There are also generators for use in emergencies and to keep the electricity supply flowing steadily for its 24/7 operation. Rainwater is captured for use in bathrooms saving approximately 1 million gallons of water annually.

Companies are looking to NRG for advice on how to cut their carbon footprints says Robert Gaudette, Senior Vice President, NRG Business Solutions. "As businesses look to move to renewable power, their primary concerns are the complexity of how you get a deal done. And price. At NRG, we figured out a way to make it less complex and much easier to transact for a customer."

He says that technology is helping make solar and other renewables a better deal in comparison to the grid and the changes are allowing companies to make the switch. Using a product called Renewable Select, NRG helped a food processor in Texas cover 10 percent of their power needs with locally produced solar energy.

"It was a win for the community. It was a win for their stakeholders and it was a win for our customer," Gaudette says.

NRG is also offering its residential customers a choice of the kind of energy they consume making it easier and simpler to access renewable energy.

"NRG has a number of offers that enable customers to choose electricity that is from a renewable source," says Elizabeth Killinger, Executive Vice President of NRG Retail. "We have local solar offers. We have national solar offers and we‘ll make it easy for customers to see the benefits that those offers can bring to them."

Residential customers can use a new app and voice controlled smart speakers to manage their home electricity consumption remotely.

"NRG provides customers with tools to help manage their energy usage," says Killinger. "Things like an app that helps them control their thermostat. A partnership with Google that enables them to use a voice assistant, so they can say make it cooler or make it warmer, so they can conserve energy."

Sustainability has never been more important, and CEO Gutierrez says it is at the heart of NRG‘s business. "Sustainability makes business sense for a company like ours because it‘s the foundation that helps us create long term value," says Gutierrez. "It is the glue that brings all stakeholders working together towards a common goal."