WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christie Whitman has presented Energy Star Partner Awards to 36 businesses and organizations in recognition of their efforts to enhance energy efficiency and reduce global warming gases.

"Successful partnerships have always been integral to achieving our environmental protection goals," said Whitman. "We honor the 2002 Energy Star Partner Award winners who serve as models to other businesses and organizations, proving you can improve our environment while saving energy and money."

In 2001 alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $5 billion in energy costs and reduced pollution equivalent to taking 10 million cars off the road. More than 750 million Energy Star products have been sold, more than 55,000 new homes have earned the Energy Star, and more than 10,000 office buildings, schools, supermarkets, and hotels have benchmarked their energy performance as a basis for future progress.

Energy Star was established by the EPA in 1992 to offer energy saving and pollution preventing solutions for consumers and businesses. Energy Star now works with more than 7,000 partners to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings.

The 36 Energy Star Award winners are:

Excellence in Efficient Products
Alside (Cuyahoga Falls, OH)
Canon U.S.A., Inc. (Lake Success, NY)
Good Earth Lighting (Wheeling, IL)
Maytag Corporation (Newton, IA)
Panasonic (Secaucus, NJ)
Philips Lighting Company (Somerset, NJ)
Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Hoffman Estates, IL)
VELUX America Inc. (Greenwood, SC)
Whirlpool Corporation (Benton Harbor, MI)
GE Lighting (Cleveland, OH)
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (Chicago, IL)
OSRAM SYLVANIA (Danvers, MA)

Excellence in Energy Management
Arden Realty, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA)
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. (Natick, MA)
Food Lion, LLC (Salisbury, NC)
General Motors Corporation (Detroit, MI)
Hines (Houston, TX)
Jefferson County Public Schools (Golden, CO)
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (White Plains, NY)
Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (Washington, DC)
Servidyne Systems, LLC (Atlanta, GA)

Excellence in Homes
Champion Enterprises, Inc. (Auburn Hills, MI)
D.R. Wastchak, L.L.C. (Tempe, AZ)
Ence Homes (St. George, UT)
New Jersey Energy Star Homes (Mount Laurel, NJ)
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (Burlington, VT)
Reliant Energy HL&P (Houston, TX)
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (Albany, NY)

Excellence in Consumer Education
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. (Lexington, MA)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (Portland, OR)
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (Sacramento, CA)
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (Madison, WI)

Excellence in Corporate Commitment
Verizon Communications Inc. (Albany, NY)

Special Recognition Awards
Hunter Fans (Memphis, TN)
Royal Vendors, Inc. (Kearneysville, WV)
Lowe's Home Improvement (North Wilkesboro, NC)

Publication date: 04/01/2002