Reliant Energy
Parent NRG Energy | | |
| Website | www.reliant.com | |
|---|---|---|
Reliant Energy is an American energy company based in Houston, Texas. It serves the state of Texas.
History
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, is one of the largest Texas electricity providers serving over 1.5 million Texans.[2] Reliant provides over 23 million megawatts of power annually[clarification needed] to residential and business customers.[3]
Reliant Energy was founded in 2000.
In 2010, Reliant Energy received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the DOE’s Recovery Act activities to fund a suite of Smart Grid products for upgrades of the nation’s electricity grid.[6]
Over the last six months of 2017, the Public Utility Commission of Texas received a total of 118 complaints against Reliant including 22 slamming, and 2 cramming violations.[7]
Ratings and reviews
Reliant Energy has received a C rating from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB reports 240 complaints against the company in the last 3 years.[8]
Deregulation of electricity in Texas
On January 1, 2002, Texas deregulated the electricity industry and now there are 116 retail electric providers (REPs) currently doing business in the state.[9] Texas is one of 18 states that offers some level of deregulated electricity, with the state having the largest percentage (approximately 85%) of residents who are able to choose their service provider.[10]
With deregulation the transmission and distribution of the electricity is handled by Transmission and Distribution Utilities (TDUs) that must offer access to their wires to all REPs on a non-discriminatory basis.[11]
Following the deregulation of the market, Reliant Energy began competing with other large energy companies in the state, including
Renewable energy
Reliant Energy provides solar and wind turbine renewable energy options for its customers. The renewable energy options are only available in areas where the TDUs offer the service. Reliant provides sell back options for excess energy generated by an individual.[13]
In June 2013, the City of Houston signed a renewable energy agreement with Reliant, as part of Houston’s dedication to improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of solar and wind power as energy sources.[14] This deal included the purchase of 140 MW of wind energy output from 2013 to 2015.[15]
References
- ^ "Company Overview of Reliant Energy Retail Holdings, LLC". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
- ^ "Reliant offers free METRORAIL rides on gamedays". Houston Texans. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-11-03.
- ^ Kaften, Cheryl. "Reliant's 'Power on the Go' Retail Plan Cuts the Cord with Free Portable Power Pack". Energy Manager Today. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Company Overview of Reliant Energy Retail Holdings, LLC". Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Customers won't see much change in NRG-Reliant deal". Chron. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Recovery Act State Memos" (PDF). Department of Energy. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Customer Complaint Statistics". Public Utility Commission of Texas. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Reliant Energy". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Alphabetical Directory of Retail Electric Providers". Public Utility Commission of Texas. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "State-by-State Look at Energy Regulation in the U.S." Spark Energy. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Transmission and Distribution Rates for Investor Owned Utilities". Public Utility Commission of Texas. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Areas We Serve". Reliant Energy. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Buying Renewable Power". Power To Choose. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ Ginsberg, Noah. "City of Houston Strikes Renewable Energy Deal with Reliant Energy". Acore. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ "Half of Houston's energy to come from renewables". Power Engineering. Retrieved 26 January 2018.