Press Release:

For Immediate Release
   Media Contacts:
   Kathy Kuntz
   Wisconsin Energy
   Conservation Corporation
   (608) 249-9322 ext. 278
   kkuntz@weccusa.org

Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation Receives National Honor
Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Homes and WECC's Suite of ENERGY STAR Programs Rated Among America's Best Energy Efficiency Programs

MADISON, Wis. (February 6, 2003) - Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes and Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation's Suite of ENERGY STAR Programs have both been ranked among the nation's best energy efficiency programs, receiving Honorable Mention awards in a national program sponsored by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

"We sought to recognize the many unsung heroes of state and utility efforts to improve energy efficiency, and spotlight these programs as models for others to emulate," said Martin Kushler, Ph.D., ACEEE's Utilities Program Director.

The WECC programs are funded through Focus on Energy and various municipal and electric cooperative utilities in Wisconsin. Minnesota Power also provides funding for the ENERGY STAR Products program in northern Minnesota.

Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes
Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes is a voluntary program that works with builders and consumers to enhance the comfort, safety, durability and energy efficiency of new homes. Since the program began in 1999, more than 200 builders have participated, building more than 1,300 certified Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes.

Each home is tested to verify that it meets the program's standards � some of the highest building standards in the nation. The documented energy savings from these homes is sufficient to heat another 130 Wisconsin homes.

WECC's Suite of ENERGY STAR Programs
In addition to Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes, WECC's suite of ENERGY STAR programs includes Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, which helps consumers increase the comfort and efficiency of existing homes, and ENERGY STAR Products, which promotes high-efficiency lighting and appliances. All of these programs build on the national ENERGY STAR initiative, which aims to make it easier for consumers to identify and purchase high-efficiency products and services without sacrificing style or quality.

WECC's ENERGY STAR Products team led the recent "Change A Light, Change the World" promotion in Wisconsin and other Midwest states, including Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The promotion resulted in the sale of more than 900,000 ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent bulbs. The electrical savings from these bulbs is 68.4 million kilowatt hours annually, which is the environmental equivalent to removing 11,047 cars from the road.

ACEEE Awards Program
ACEEE, a nonprofit research group based in Washington, D.C., initiated the awards program in 2002 to recognize outstanding energy efficiency programs and honor the people and organizations responsible for their success. WECC's programs were selected from among more than 130 nominations covering a wide variety of programs from across the United States. An expert panel reviewed the nominations and selected the programs to be honored.

Programs selected were deemed to be especially noteworthy for their effectiveness and innovation in helping customers achieve greater levels of energy efficiency in their homes, businesses and facilities. In doing so, these programs help reduce customers' energy costs and also yield significant broader economic and environmental benefits.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
ACEEE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and policy development to advance energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection.

About the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation is a nonprofit organization based in Madison, Wis. Established in 1980, WECC is a national leader in designing and implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that partner with private businesses to deliver value to consumers. It champions innovative energy initiatives that deliver short- and long-term economic and environmental benefits to consumers, businesses and policy makers. For more information about WECC, call 800.969.9322 or visit weccusa.org.

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