Well, I’ve been very quiet since getting my internet connection back, but in honor of Blog Action Day, I felt that making a post was suitable. I actually have some good news to report that was brought to me by my gas and electric provider. Living in New Jersey, I get my gas and electric from PSE&G (Public Services Electric & Gas, for those not in the know.) I don’t have the option of wiring my house to provide it’s own power (say from solar panels) because I live in an apartment, not a house. Happily, my apartment’s electricity will be 100% clean, renewable energy by next month. PSE&G offers their customers an option to switch to renewable energy for an extra cost. My typical bill is between $20 and $35 per month. For $10 more each month, 50% of my electricity comes from wind, 1% from local solar facilities, and 49% from low-impact hydroelectric stations. I’d rather go 50/50 on wind and solar, because even low-impact hydro has negative environmental effects. But it was important to me to help promote NJ clean-energy facilities and get 100% of our electrical usage from renewable sources, so I chose to use the low-impact hydro anyway. In an apartment that needs to be continuously heated and cooled due to poor insulation, getting renewable energy is very important to us.

In short, I encourage all of you to check with your electric providers to see if they offer a similar initiative. If so, look into it. Getting your home’s electric from clean sources does a lot to reduce a family’s carbon emissions, and also promotes energy independence from non-renewable sources.