(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070427/DAF012 )
This week, in honor of Earth Day and to focus awareness on energy efficiency, Reliant Energy announced its Compact With Texas campaign with Mayor Bill White in Houston, Mayor Raul Salinas in Laredo and with the Chamber of Commerce in Corpus Christi. As part of the program, Reliant is distributing 6,000 free CFLs through select Home Depot locations. The first 500 bulbs were handed out at the City of Dallas' EarthFest celebration last Friday.
"The Compact With Texas campaign is another effort that demonstrates Reliant Energy's commitment to energy efficiency," said Janie Mitcham, Reliant Energy senior vice president who will lead the company's energy efficiency and "smart energy" programs. "Reliant Energy will continue to offer programs and pricing plans to help Texans conserve energy, and even the smallest of energy efficiency improvements can make a difference in the environment and an electric bill."
In Houston, 3,000 free CFLs will be distributed -- one per family and first come, first served -- with 1,500 distributed in Corpus Christi and 1,000 in Laredo. All those taking a bulb will be asked to informally pledge to "create a better Texas for tomorrow by switching at least one incandescent light bulb in their home to a compact fluorescent bulb this year."
CFLs will be given away at the following Home Depots on Saturday (while supplies last):
Corpus Christi (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
13202 Leopard Street
Houston (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
999 North Loop West / 6810 Gulf Freeway / 5445 West Loop / 10707 North
Freeway
Laredo (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
5710 San Bernardo Ave.
Reliant Energy also took its program to students in the Houston, Corpus Christi and Laredo school districts, where it asked youth to pledge to be "energy efficiency ambassadors" in their homes by turning off lights and household appliances when they are not being used. Company representatives were joined at the school rallies at Blackshear Elementary in Houston, Windsor Park Elementary in Corpus Christi and Tarver Elementary in Laredo by Baby Jay, a Houston-based youth rapper, and the mascots of the Houston Texans and Corpus Christi Hooks.
About Reliant Energy, Inc.: Reliant Energy, Inc. (NYSE: RRI) based in Houston, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the United States. In Texas, the company provides service to approximately 1.9 million retail electricity customers, including residential, small business and commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers. Reliant also serves commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland) market.
The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the nation with approximately 16,000 megawatts of power generation capacity across the United States. These strategically located generating assets utilize natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit http://www.reliant.com .

