State-of-the-Art Lighting Helps Kroger Slash Lighting Costs PEORIA, Ill., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Ameren Illinois Utilities announced the successful completion of a pilot Act On Energy(TM) high-efficiency lighting project that sharply cut energy consumption in the frozen food reach-in cases and refrigerated dairy and beverage cases at the Kroger store located at 9219 N. Lindbergh Ave., Peoria. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090303/CG78456) The first of its type project involved replacing fluorescent lighting with high-efficiency LED lighting in frozen food reach-in cases and refrigerated dairy and beverage cases. It is anticipated the LED lighting will result in annual energy cost savings of more than $9,000 just for the one Peoria store. "Kroger is to be congratulated for their aggressive electric energy efficiency initiatives, which will benefit their customers, employees and the communities they serve," said Stan Ogden, Ameren Illinois Utilities vice president of Customer Service and Public Relations. "We are pleased that we are able to support Kroger as well as many other businesses throughout our service territory through our Act On Energy business electric energy efficiency incentive program." Ogden presented John Elliott with a $5,000 incentive check for the pilot program, while announcing that Kroger will receive incentive payments totaling more than $100,000 when the company completes the LED high-efficiency lighting installation in a total of 22 Central and Southern Illinois stores located in AmerenCILCO, AmerenCIPS and AmerenIP service territory. In addition to the high-efficiency lighting project, Kroger will install new high-efficiency electric motors in 10 stores to increase energy savings. The Ameren Illinois Utilities launched the Act On Energy (http://www.actonenergy.com/) program last June to help their business and residential electric distribution customers spend less by using less energy. A key aspect of the Act On Energy initiative is an incentive program for Ameren Illinois Utilities electric distribution business customers. Those who choose to participate in this program may realize these benefits: -- Cash-back incentives from the Ameren Illinois Utilities for the implementation of approved electric energy efficiency measures. -- Energy efficiency modifications to buildings and operating systems can reduce electric energy use, which will lower electric energy bills. -- Typically, energy efficiency projects boost employee comfort and help improve productivity. -- Reductions in energy use have an environmental impact by reducing a business' carbon footprint and helping decrease the need for new or expanded electric generating plants. "Businesses throughout our Illinois service territory recognize the value of our electric energy efficiency program that provides incentives for the installation of energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, refrigeration and motor systems," said Cheryl A. Miller, Act On Energy business program manager for the Ameren Illinois Utilities. "In addition, some business customers are able to take advantage of our custom business program, which provides incentives for such projects as variable-frequency drives on process fans and pumps, compressed air system improvements, improvements to reduce energy use in manufacturing processes and other initiatives," Miller said. Since unveiling the Act On Energy electric energy efficiency program last June, the Ameren Illinois Utilities have approved $2.5 million in incentive payments to business customers throughout their 43,700 square mile service territory. Complete information, including application forms, is available at the Act On Energy Web site (http://www.actonenergy.com/). The Ameren Illinois Utilities have been providing safe, reliable energy delivery service for more than a century. The Ameren Illinois Utilities deliver energy to 1.2 million electric and more than 840,000 natural gas customers in about 1,000 communities, while helping customers spend less by using less and communities grow through economic development initiatives. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090303/CG78456 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Ameren Illinois Utilities CONTACT: Leigh Morris, +1-217-535-5228, or Neal Johnson, +1-309-677-5284, both for Ameren Illinois Utilities Web Site: http://www.ameren.com/

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