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October 4, 2004
Naperville, Ill. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) welcomes Nicor Gas as an ENERGY STAR partner and recognizes the company's important energy management work with commercial and industrial customers. Nicor Gas is the first utility in Illinois to initiate collaborative efforts with the national ENERGY STAR program in commercial and industrial markets.
ENERGY STAR, a program of the EPA, is a valuable resource for proven, successful corporate energy management strategies. Nicor Gas and ENERGY STAR work together to bring businesses assistance, tools and information to help them better manage their energy use, which in-turn promotes both a healthier environment and energy costs savings.
"Nicor Gas sought out this partnership with the EPA to give our commercial and industrial customers enhanced energy management consultation through innovation from ENERGY STAR coupled with our long-standing expertise," said Chris Suppes, Nicor Gas' vice president sales and customer care.
Business customers are encouraged to visit Nicor Gas' new Web site section "Make the most of your energy dollars," www.nicorgas.com/commercial, and use the online energy assessment tool called Navigator. This tool is one of the resources that Nicor Gas has developed to improve the energy performance of its commercial and industrial customers in keeping with the company's commitment to the ENERGY STAR program. Navigator enables users to assess their energy usage and compare it with industry peers.
It also offers suggestions they can act upon immediately, as well as longer-term energy solutions. This personalized report recommends programs and processes that can save businesses money on energy, equipment and maintenance costs.
ENERGY STAR's resources complement those offered by Nicor. ENERGY STAR provides a framework for approaching energy management decision-making across an organization in the Guidelines for Energy Management. The ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management enable a company to: make a commitment, assess performance, set goals, create action plans, implement action plans, evaluate progress and recognize achievements.
The ENERGY STAR program also offers the U.S. EPA's energy performance rating system, a standard metric for comparing the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. The EPA provides national recognition for top performing buildings that can qualify to earn the ENERGY STAR. Nicor will help commercial building owners and operators improve the ratings of their facilities and strive to earn the ENERGY STAR.
ENERGY STAR recognizes superior performance in buildings and organizations, helping businesses and public organizations save money and help protect the environment through reduced energy use. As the government-backed, trusted symbol for energy efficiency, the ENERGY STAR label also identifies highly efficient products and designates superior energy performance in homes. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov.
Nicor Gas serves 165,000 commercial customers and 15,000 industrial customers and is the largest natural gas distributor in Illinois. Businesses interested in speaking with an energy expert at Nicor can call 630 388-2596 or e-mail energysolutions@nicor.com.
Nicor Gas is one of the nation's largest gas distribution companies. Owned by Nicor, Inc. (NYSE: GAS) a holding company, Nicor Gas has provided safe and reliable natural gas services for 50 years. The Company serves two million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicorgas.com. | 
