Green Mountain vs Chariot Energy: Pioneer Green vs Solar-First

At a Glance

Factor	Green Mountain Energy	Chariot Energy
Parent Company	NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG)	Hanwha Group
Years in Texas	29	7
Credit Check	Yes	Yes
Prepaid Available	No	No
Green Plans	Yes (100% renewable, Green-e)	Yes (100% solar-backed)
On ComparePower	Yes	No

Bottom Line: Green Mountain has the track record and Green-e certification. Chariot has the solar innovation—community solar, battery rewards, and EV charging plans. Both are legitimately green. Pick based on what you need.

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The Corporate Reality

Green Mountain Energy is NRG Energy’s environmental brand. NRG bought them for $350 million in 2010. Same parent as Reliant, Direct Energy, and Cirro. Green Mountain has been 100% renewable since 1997—29 years before most companies started pretending to care.

Chariot Energy is backed by Hanwha Group, a $50+ billion Korean conglomerate and one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers. Chariot’s legal name (174 Power Global Retail Texas) traces to Hanwha’s solar division. This is a solar manufacturing company selling electricity, not an electricity company adding solar.

Both have serious corporate backing. NRG is a Fortune 500 U.S. energy company. Hanwha is a top-10 Korean conglomerate with deep solar infrastructure roots. Neither is a scrappy startup.

What They Actually Sell

Green Mountain (29 years of 100% renewable):

• Pollution Free Conserve 12/24 at 17.5 cents/kWh
• Pollution Free e-Plus 12/24 at 17.8 cents/kWh
• Green Savings Plus 24 at 21.7 cents/kWh
• Renewable Rewards solar buyback (Essentials, Solar Credit, Solar Max)
• Go Local Solar (specific Texas solar farms)
• Pollution Free Nights, Weekend Warrior, and Watersaver specialty plans
• Solar All Nighter for EVs
• Green-e Energy certified
• 24/7 phone and chat support
• 4.8/5 on Texas Electricity Ratings (17,329 reviews)

Chariot Energy (solar-first, 7 years in Texas):

• 100% solar-backed electricity on all plans
• Multiple solar buyback tiers for rooftop panel owners
• Battery rewards program for home battery owners
• EV-optimized charging plans
• Community solar (subscribe to a solar farm without rooftop panels)
• Free nights and free weekends options (solar-backed)
• Sells direct only—not on comparison sites

Both are legitimately green. The difference is approach. Green Mountain buys RECs from wind and solar generators across the ERCOT grid. Chariot is backed by a company that actually manufactures and installs solar panels. Green Mountain’s environmental story is about certificates. Chariot’s is about hardware.

The Credit & Deposit Question

Both require credit checks. Neither offers prepaid.

Green Mountain: Soft credit check. Deposit if you fail. No prepaid fallback. 24/7 support to answer enrollment questions.

Chariot: Credit check. Deposit if you fail. No prepaid fallback. Sells direct only—you’ll work with their team, not a comparison site.

If credit is your problem, neither helps. Payless Power or Frontier’s prepaid option serve that market.

The Verdict

Choose Green Mountain if:

• 29 years of renewable-only track record and Green-e certification matter
• You want established solar buyback with three clear tiers
• 24/7 phone support and a 4.8-star service rating matter
• You want to compare plans on ComparePower before committing

Choose Chariot if:

• You have solar panels and want a solar-first buyback provider
• You own a home battery and want grid support credits
• You drive an EV and want optimized charging plans
• Community solar interests you (rent, condo, shaded roof—no panels needed)
• You want a provider backed by a global solar manufacturer

The honest take: Both are legitimate green companies—unlike most “green plans” from TXU or Reliant, which are RECs bolted onto conventional service. Green Mountain is the safe bet with 29 years of history. Chariot is the interesting bet with solar innovation that solves problems Green Mountain can’t (community solar, battery rewards, EV optimization).