Feb 26, 2004

ei³ earns award for protecting the environment through energy efficiency

Montvale, NJ - The Environmental Protection Agency has named ei³ as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through excellence in service provider performance. ei³'s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 2, 2004.

ei³, a partner in the program since 2002, is being honored for adopting smart energy practices and investments throughout their operations, such as the EnergyWatch energy monitoring and reporting service which includes ENERGY STAR automated benchmarking. Across the U.S., leading companies and organizations are discovering the value of pursuing an energy management strategy by participating in the ENERGY STAR program. In 2002 alone Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy to power 15 million homes and reduce air pollution equivalent to that of 15 million cars -- all while saving consumers $7 billion.

"Protecting the environment through sound energy management is a major organizational priority for us at ei³", said Spencer Cramer, Ei3's President. "As an ENERGY STAR partner, we are striving to help other organizations achieve superior energy performance. The ENERGY STAR program just makes good business sense."

The Partner of the Year Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to use energy efficiently in their own facilities and integrate energy efficiency into their organizational strategy. These Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

"As an ENERGY STAR partner ei³ has successfully integrated energy performance into their business strategy and day-to-day operations," said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "By participating in ENERGY STAR these organizations are showing businesses worldwide that protecting the environment is good for the bottom line."

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. The program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 7,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).