NRG and the City of Houston Join Forces to Plant 100,000 Trees Across the City
Program supports beautification, improving air quality and combatting heat in Houston’s Underserved Complete Communities
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG)— today announced it is working with the City of Houston and Trees For Houston to plant 100,000 trees at sites across the city. Supporting the City’s established plans to plant 4.6 million trees by the end of the decade, this project will add tens of thousands of trees to the Greater Houston area in the next year and a half.
An extension of the City of Houston and NRG’s 20-year relationship, the project aligns with the City’s Climate Action Plan, which includes the mass planting of trees as a method for enhancing the city’s natural ability to capture and store carbon. It will also help beautify, improve air quality and reduce heat islands by restoring the tree canopy across Houston and in the City’s underserved Complete Communities.
“This collaboration is a great example of how business, government and non-profit organizations can come together to make a positive impact,” said Scott Hart, Head of Sales, NRG Business. “NRG is proud to share a strong focus on quality of life, environment, sustainability, and efforts to help make our hometown more resilient. This effort is part of our commitment to making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work.”
“The expansion of Houston’s tree canopy has so many helpful benefits for the City,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “It improves air quality, cleans our drinking water, and helps fight climate change. This initiative shows why Houston has been named an official Tree City USA for 37 consecutive years by the National Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. It’s also in lockstep with the City’s Climate Action Plan which I’ve championed during my time as mayor.”
A portion of the trees provided by NRG will be planted by or donated to community partners across Houston through Trees For Houston, a non-profit organization dedicated to planting, protecting, and promoting trees in the Houston area and educating the next generation on the importance of greenspace. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department has been an important partner in this initiative by selecting the species and planting locations of the trees. So far this year, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department has planted 19,708 seedlings in Houston forests as part of this initiative.
“The Houston Parks and Recreation Department is proud to join our partners in this transformative effort to plant 100,000 trees across the City,” said Kenneth Allen, Director, Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “This initiative is one that Houstonians will reap benefits from for generations to come. Not only that, the City will be a much greener and healthier place because of this partnership that’s laser focused on making Houston a better place to live for all of its citizens.”
“Corporate philanthropy is an integral part of the organization and allows us to continue expanding the green canopy in the Greater Houston area,” said Trees For Houston Executive Director, Barry Ward. “The trees we plant are living infrastructure and will benefit the community for generations to come. They act as sound walls, water and air filters, and shade structures. They sequester air pollution, reduce cooling bills, slow down floodwater, fight erosion, cool our summer streets, and increase our property values. Now more than ever, our services are essential to the health and resilience of our community, and we would not be able to fulfill our mission without partners like NRG.”
Since 2002, NRG and its sister company Reliant have provided the city’s electricity supply. Additionally, through its Renewable Select plan, NRG currently enables the City of Houston to power all municipal operations with renewable energy.
About NRG
NRG Energy is a leading energy and home services company powered by people and our passion for a smarter, cleaner, and more connected future. A Fortune 500 company operating in the United States and Canada, NRG delivers innovative solutions that help people, organizations, and businesses achieve their goals, while also advocating for competitive energy markets and customer choice. More information is available at www.nrg.com. Connect with NRG on Facebook, and LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter, @nrgenergy.
About the Houston Parks and Recreation Department
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (H.P.A.R.D.) stewards and manages 382 parks and over 39,501 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston and develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all abilities. For more information on the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, call (832) 395-7022 or visit www.houstonparks.org.
About Trees For Houston
Since its founding in 1983, Trees For Houston has planted over 740,000 trees across the southeast Texas region. The organization initially focused its early efforts on planting street trees in the heart of Houston. But as the city grew, so did the need for strategic, large-scale planting to counteract the impact of expansion on the region’s tree canopy. As the only tree planting organization of its kind in the region, Trees For Houston is the go-to clearing house for trees and source of information for other organizations and Houston residents. For additional information, visit www.TreesForHouston.org
Contacts
NRG: Lauren Brown
713.537.2861
Lauren.Brown@nrg.com
City of Houston: Mary Benton
713-208-6229
Mary.Benton@houstontx.gov
Trees For Houston: Martha Chavez
713-840-8733
martha@treesforhouston.org
