Washington, D.C., October 11, 2005 – The Alliance to Save Energy’s 2005 “Stars of Energy Efficiency” are the world’s third-busiest airport, a small yet innovative electric utility, and a consortium of steel companies dedicated to vehicle energy efficiency. The 2005 winner of the Alliance’s prestigious Charles H. Percy Award for Public Service, named for the Alliance’s founder, is California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey, a nationally recognized leader in energy efficiency and environmental improvement who has used his position to ensure that efficiency is a cornerstone of state policy in California.

Alliance Chairman Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) has selected BP America President Ross Pillari and former California Energy Commission Chairman William Keese, who served as co-chairs of the Alliance‘s “Vision 2010” Policy Committee, to receive the Chairman’s Award. These honorees and Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) International Airport, Burlington (Vt.) Electric Department, and ULSAB-Advanced Vehicle Concepts (ULSAB-AVC), will be honored at an October 20 black-tie gala and fundraising dinner at Washington, D.C.’s National Building Museum

“We are pleased to honor these leaders in the field of energy efficiency at our 2005 Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “Representing a range of organization types and sizes, all have made significant strides in advancing energy efficiency in the U.S. marketplace. And the winners of our Percy Award for Public Service, Michael Peevey, and our Chairman’s award, Ross Pillari and Bill Keese, are internationally recognized for their significant contributions toward a sustainable energy future.”

As CPUC President, Peevey, a nationally recognized leader in energy efficiency and environmental improvement, was instrumental in bringing together California’s regulatory and administrative agencies to address the state’s energy needs with a strong environmental focus. Under his leadership, the state adopted an Energy Action Plan (EAP) calling for all electrical power and natural gas to be supplied in an environmentally sound, cost-effective manner.

Under the EAP championed by Peevey, investor-owned utilities will likely decrease their consumers’ energy consumption by more than 3 billion kWh throughout 2004-2005. Peevey’s vision, dedication, and commitment to energy efficiency are demonstrated by his rallying important industry, policy, and business leaders to develop a California energy plan that has energy efficiency as its backbone.

The Chairman’s Award recognizes Keese and Pillari for skillfully chairing the Alliance Board’s Policy Committee – a diverse group of more than 50 Alliance Associates and other energy advocates – in developing a suite of Alliance energy-efficiency policies known as Vision 2010, most of which Congress included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Both Keese and Pillari have been tireless advocates of energy efficiency, and their exemplary work for the Alliance is second only to the commitment to energy efficiency typified in their leadership of the California Energy Commission and BP America, respectively. Each of these individuals has demonstrated a personal and professional commitment to the Alliance’s mission to promote energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment, and enhanced energy security.

DFW International Airport is being recognized for its commitment to and aggressive pursuit of the efficient and environmentally-friendly use of energy. DFW – the world's third-busiest airport serving more than 59 million passengers and offering 2,300 flights a day to 174 domestic and international destinations – is well on its way to becoming the one of the world’s “greenest airports” and already leads the airline industry in energy and environmental stewardship. Key components of DFW’s strategy for meeting EPA’s emissions standards include a $122 million energy-efficiency upgrade and expansion of its 30-year-old district heating and cooling plant, including installation of a thermal energy storage system to shift electrical load off-peak, and measures to reduce energy use in new and existing passenger terminals and supporting airport facilities. As a result, DFW has reduced its central plant energy use, compared with a 2001 baseline, by 28 percent and its energy use per square foot served by the plant by 39 percent. In addition, DFW expects to cut nitrous oxide emissions by 86 percent, exceeding the EPA requirement. Energy-efficiency programs implemented since 1995 have resulted in estimated energy savings of 25 million MMBtu, or $150 million at today’s energy prices.

Though a small utility, Burlington Electric Department (BED) has had a large impact on energy efficiency in the state of Vermont thanks to its commitment to meet electric demand through improved energy efficiency and its ability to leverage private funds. The company has invested more than $25 million in energy-efficiency efforts that have cut Burlington’s electricity use in 2004 below what the city used in 1989, despite significant commercial growth during the 1990’s. These steps also have helped avoid 43,340 tons of carbon dioxide annually and an anticipated 645,000 tons over the estimated life of those efforts.

BED has been a leader in targeting energy-efficiency investments for its entire customer base, for example by promoting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and high-standard energy codes for buildings, implementing load-response programs that help curtail load during high-cost periods, and enacting innovative energy-efficiency ordinances for residential rental.

ULSAB-AVC – a unique, independent international consortium of steel companies representing 22 countries and 35 steel manufacturers – provides viable solutions for vehicle energy efficiency with resulting dramatic impacts on vehicle design and fuel economy. By revolutionizing the kind of steel normally applied to vehicles in the mid-sized North American and C-class European categories, ULSAB-AVC has significantly improved fuel economy to 53 mpg (gas) and 73 mpg (diesel), while also meeting stringent crash safety requirements and high-volume manufacturability at affordable costs. This all has been accomplished with steel, the world’s most recyclable material. By reducing vehicle weight, ULSAB-AVC has helped automakers achieve their own fuel, safety, and production goals while also supporting the more efficient use of steel through end-of-useful-life recycling of vehicles.

The Alliance also has presented “Excellence in Energy Efficiency” awards to ASHRAE for the publication of the Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings, a guidebook for contractors and designers who create office buildings up to 20,000 square feet; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which in recent years has implemented a wide array of energy efficiency, energy security and sustainability efforts throughout state government; and NW Natural Gas and the state of Oregon, which have established a creative new regulatory mechanism allowing the natural gas utility to encourage energy conservation while protecting its revenues. These winners will be recognized at the gala awards dinner.