The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released a study that found 850 utilities across the United States now offer some form of green energy program. In 2009, green energy sales by electric utilities exceeded 6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) or approximately 5% of total kWh consumption. The municipal electric utility Austin Energy was the top [...]

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TerraCycle produces very cool consumer products from recycled food packaging. But for businesses trying to grow revenues in this “soft recovery” the coolest thing about TerraCycle is its creative business strategies for generating top-line revenue results with attractive profit margins. How it engage its customers is what makes TerraCycle’s strategy unique. For example, it “up-cycles” [...]

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So where does a stock investor look for value in a landscape dominated by the Federal Reserve, Peak Everything, Unsustainable Debt and Unaffordable Health Care? The emerging answer is to invest in companies that are building “smart answers” that offer consumers “cost less, mean more” solutions. These companies will grow sustainable revenues as they succeed [...]

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Imagine walking into a Walmart to buy a bag of potato chips and seeing not only how two competing bags of chips compare on price but also how they compare in terms of green house gas (GHG) emissions. Then, imagine the ramifications if both bags of chips cost the same, but one bag had twice the [...]

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“95.6% of households are willing to change their energy consumption behavior to save money on their energy costs.” This finding comes from the 2009 Nielsen Energy Audit. “This survey strongly suggests the timing is right for utilities to engage their customers with green marketing initiatives,” explains Jonathan Drost, Nielsen Account Executive-Utilities. “The survey points to utility customers being driven by the desire to lower their costs and to have increased control of their energy costs.”

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In the mid-1990’s, while serving as the General Marketing Manager for Georgia Power, I had the honor of managing the team of exceptionally bright people that designed an industry-pioneering meter-linked, integrated real time pricing/demand side management program. Today, I understand this legacy system now bills $2 billion annually on the Southern Company system, a utility [...]

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PACE is a program where a city borrows money to lend to property owners for investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Loaned funds are paid back over 20 years through property tax payments. The program started in California and through the efforts of Hidary and the PaceNOW coalition it is now allowed in 15 states.

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