69. Clean Energy Tech Company Offers Customers Renewable Options

Clean Energy Tech Company Offers Customers Renewable Options There is a growing trend toward clean energy around the world. A number of high-profile companies, including Google, Apple, Walmart, and more than 260 others, have set 100% renewable electricity goals, and power companies, too, have joined in the movement, with many targeting net-zero emissions in coming decades. However, most consumers have found it more difficult to source 100% renewable energy to power their homes. That is, until now. Inspire, a clean energy technology company headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, announced on Nov. 9 the availability of its digital energy experience in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Southern California. It claims to provide consumers with the first and only personalized flat-rate, monthly subscription with unlimited access to 100% clean energy. “What we do is we're building a completely digital energy experience that makes it insanely easy for consumers to adopt clean energy and clean energy technologies by providing them as a simple subscription service,” Patrick Maloney, CEO of Inspire, said as a recent guest on The POWER Podcast. Maloney said Inspire did a lot of research and found that many power customers were confused about their bills and didn’t understand the tiers that were often incorporated into their rates. Furthermore, some people had an underlying feeling of guilt because they knew most of their power was generated by fossil fuels, which many believe is harming the planet. “So, what we focused on was entering into those markets where we could really build a technology platform that would effectively almost sit on top of the grid, and allow us to then revolutionize the business model into a subscription model—almost like a Netflix like subscription for clean energy,” Maloney said. “We're at the place where we're now beginning to take the model we pioneered there, and now bring it to a national basis.” According to Inpsire, people can make the switch to access 100% clean energy in minutes. Customers connect their current utility account (giving Inspire access authorization) and Inspire calculates a custom flat price for each customers’ entire monthly utility bill, based on factors such as historic consumption. No matter the usage or season, customers can anticipate the same price month over month, mitigating concerns over large energy bills during extreme weather seasons, for example. The company says there’s no hidden fees or price fluctuations, and it’s risk-free—customers can cancel at any time. Customers pay Inspire using their preferred payment method and Inspire pays their utility bill in full on their behalf every month, while matching home electricity usage to 100% clean energy. Inspire’s impact dashboard lets customers easily track their path to a net-zero lifestyle through easy-to-understand visuals, and practical tips to save energy and reduce CO2 emissions. Maloney said one year with Inspire can have a greater impact in reducing a consumer’s carbon footprint than 10 years of recycling.