Promoting Energy Conservation at the Grassroots Level is First Step to
Inspiring Long Term Change: Winning Communities Recognized for Community
Challenge Day Efforts

Local Electricity Distributors: Promoting Energy Conservation Awareness, Inspiring Action and Creating a Culture of Conservation Among Ontarians

TORONTO, Aug. 16 /CNW/ - The results are in and the Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) and its 81 local electricity distribution companies want to congratulate the Town of Goderich, Sioux Lookout, Tecumseh, the Town of Whitby and Halton Region for their commitment to energy conservation and being named winners of the province-wide Community Challenge Day on August 11th. The winners were announced today at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference in Windsor.

"Ontario's Electricity Distributors are committed to creating a culture of conservation among Ontarians - delivering electricity conservation and demand management programs that give their electricity customers the tools they need to conserve," said EDA Chair, Brian Bentz, who was on hand for today's award presentations in Windsor. "Grassroots support forms the basis of a greater collective movement that will help to inspire long term change."

The Town of Goderich has been awarded, among 61 participating communities, the distinction of the community with the highest percentage drop in electricity consumption on August 11, 2010 (from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm), with a drop of 5.7%. The Town of Goderich is serviced by West Coast Huron Energy Inc.

Four other communities have also received awards for the greatest number of local residents pledging to take action on conservation. The winning communities include:

    
    -   Sioux Lookout, serviced by Sioux Lookout Hydro Inc. (in the less than
        10,000 participant category);
    -   The Town of Tecumseh, serviced by Essex Powerlines Corp. and Hydro
        One Inc. (in the 10,000 to 75,000 category);
    -   The Town of Whitby, serviced by Whitby Hydro Electric Corp. (in the
        over 75,000 category); and,
    -   Halton Region, serviced by Burlington Hydro Inc., Milton Hydro
        Distribution Inc., Halton Hills Hydro Inc., and Oakville Hydro
        Electricity Distribution Inc.(in the regional category).
    

"Ontario's Electricity Distributors are committed to working with provincial and community partners to help inform, promote and deliver effective energy conservation activities and programs to their local customers," said EDA President and CEO, Charlie Macaluso. "Local distributors have been proud participants in the Community Challenge alongside their local communities and have worked with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to ensure the accurate and orderly collection of consumption data for the August 11th Challenge."

The Power Pledge Community Challenge is a collaboration of the Ontario Power Authority, the Electricity Distributors Association, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Independent Electricity System Operator. The campaign also acknowledges the long-standing leadership of the City of Woodstock and the annual awarding of the Woodstock Cup to the winner in the megawatt-reduction category.

The Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) is the voice of Ontario's local electricity distributors, the publicly and privately owned companies that safely and reliably deliver electricity to over 4.5 million Ontario homes, businesses and public institutions.

Find out more about electricity distributors' ongoing efforts to create a culture of conservation in Ontario by visiting the EDA website at www.eda-on.ca.

For further information: contact the EDA's Manager of Communications and Media Relations, Christine Hallas at [phone]