APOGEE Interactive Press Releases

Minnesota Power Energizes Website With APOGEE Interactive’s Latest Energy Calculators

6/4/2008

ATLANTA, Ga., May 29, 2008 - Minnesota Power's new website features the latest release of Apogee Interactive's home energy calculator, which now estimates a home's carbon footprint and provides a national ENERGY STAR® Home Energy Yardstick Score along with the home's energy use analysis.

In addition, Minnesota Power is the first of Apogee's clients to help develop and use a customized Fuel Cost Comparison calculator that simultaneously estimates annual home heating costs using five different energy sources. "Well over 70 percent of the energy used by our residential customers is for home heating. Now they can easily compare the cost differences between various energy sources including electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, propane and ground-source heat pumps," said Al Lian, marketing analyst for Minnesota Power. Using the calculator, consumers can make informed choices when it's time to select or replace a home heating system.

Apogee's new carbon footprint calculation uses regional generation mix data and estimates the carbon emissions associated with the customer's home energy use. The Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick Score gives residents an idea of how their home's energy efficiency stacks up with similar homes on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the most energy efficient. With both new features, users can run scenarios on their homes to see the effect of changes, like upgrading equipment or changing the way it is operated.

The Apogee HomeEnergySuite™ of Web tools on Minnesota Power's website also features an interactive lighting calculator that shows the cost savings of using compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of standard ones. For all the other common home appliances, another calculator estimates electricity usage for more than 50 appliances -- from flat screen TVs to Energy Star-rated refrigerators. Minnesota Power also offers a new commercial lighting calculator to help businesses find their best lighting solutions and determine if they qualify for rebates.

"The beauty of these new online tools is the simplicity with which they communicate complicated concepts like 'what is my home's carbon footprint, and how much will I reduce it by changing my thermostat settings?'" said Susan Gilbert, Apogee's president and chief executive officer. "Customers hear these terms but often have no context for understanding them. Our calculators communicate in terms customers can relate to and then use in making wise decisions about their energy use."

Minnesota Power joins more than 400 utilities across the county who utilize website applications, content modules and custom online solutions from Apogee Interactive (www.apogee.net). Founded in 1994, Apogee is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry and the largest provider of Internet-enabled, customer-facing energy analysis tools. The company's customers comprise a wide range of energy utilities including American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), Westar Energy (NYSE: WR), CPS Energy and TVA. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.

Minnesota Power (www.mnpower.com), an ALLETE company, supplies electric service to 141,000 retail customers, 16 municipalities and some of the largest industrial customers in the United States.

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Apogee Interactive Websites Take Top Honors in National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Competition

5/29/2008

ATLANTA, May 14, 2008

Apogee Interactive who has designed and hosts more than 90 utility websites dominated the winners' circle in the Best Website category of this year's Spotlight on Excellence competition hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The award winners were recognized today at NRECA's Annual Connect Conference in Portland, Ore., a three-day event drawing 500 communications professionals from electric cooperatives across the country.

Three of Apogee's clients earned honors for websites that demonstrate excellence in customer communication, marking the most award winners posted by a single vendor in the Best Website category. The NRECA member websites competing were judged on criteria such as relevant and concise text, easy navigation, distinctive appearance, tasteful design, and engaging opportunities for visitor interaction.

United Power Inc. (www.unitedpower.com), a member-owned electric cooperative surrounding Denver on three sides, won the Award of Excellence for Best Website in the 50,000 to 80,000 electric meter category. Apogee produced and launched a new website for United Power in 2007 that features increased functionality, usability and Apogee's Kids Korner module for interactive energy education.

Parke County REMC (www.parkecountyremc.com), of Rockville, Ind., earned an Award of Merit in the 9,000 to 20,000 electric meter category. Designed and developed by Apogee for the REMC, this site features Apogee's complete HomeEnergySuite™ of home, appliance and lighting calculators plus its Kids Korner and energy library.

Firelands Electric Cooperative (www.firelandsec.com) took the Award of Merit in the 1,000 to 9,000 electric meter category. Apogee redesigned Firelands' website to offer more interactive opportunities for customer service and energy information including a community calendar, classified ads and Apogee's complete HomeEnergySuite of energy efficiency tools.

"Our goal is to help our clients achieve highly positive website interactions with their members and customers," said Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of Apogee. "We focus on providing accurate and valuable energy efficiency information along with easy-to-use interactive tools and navigation."

Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. Founded in 1994, Apogee's Web-based content and energy-efficiency tools reach millions of energy consumers daily. Currently serving more than 400 energy utilities, Apogee's customers include such companies as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), CPS Energy, Walton EMC, Jackson EMC and many more. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.
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Contact: Karen Morris, Apogee Interactive, Inc., 770-270-6501; kmorris@apogee.net

Apogee Interactive Websites Take Top Honors in National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Competition

5/19/2008

Apogee Interactive who has designed and hosts more than 90 utility websites dominated the winners' circle in the Best Website category of this year's Spotlight on Excellence competition hosted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The award winners were recognized today at NRECA's Annual Connect Conference in Portland, Ore., a three-day event drawing 500 communications professionals from electric cooperatives across the country.

Park County REMC (www.parkecountyremc.com), of Rockville, Ind., earned an Award of Merit in the 9,000 to 20,000 electric meter category. Designed and developed by Apogee for the REMC, this site features Apogee's complete HomeEnergySuite™ of home, appliance and lighting calculators plus its Kids Korner and energy library.

Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. Founded in 1994, Apogee's Web-based content and energy-efficiency tools reach millions of energy consumers daily. Currently serving more than 400 energy utilities, Apogee's customers include such companies as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), CPS Energy, Jackson EMC and many more. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.
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NorthWestern Energy Adds Apogee Interactive Energy Efficiency Tools to Website

4/22/2008

With Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska ranking among the top 18 states for Internet use (Pew Internet Study), NorthWestern Energy's new Web-based energy efficiency tools are aimed at an eager audience.

Customers can now analyze their energy use and find targeted energy-saving advice using interactive tools found under the "Energy Calculators" and "Energy Library" sections of NorthWestern Energy's website at www.northwesternenergy.com.

Developed by Apogee Interactive, the energy calculators automatically account for the 11 different weather regions served by NorthWestern and current energy prices. "Our service area is subject to extreme cold and extreme heat," said Susan Malee, spokesperson, for Northwestern Energy. "Bringing energy calculators, reference libraries and even energy games into our customers' homes and businesses over the Web makes it easier for them to be more energy savvy and make more energy efficient choices."

Apogee's home and commercial EnergySuite™ tools for NorthWestern include a "Calc-U-Pal" for homes, a "Commercial Energy Calculator" for businesses, an appliance calculator, a lighting calculator, home energy library, electricity fundamentals module and Kids Korner site. The calculators can run as many different scenarios as needed to provide immediate answers to any number of questions such as "How much can I save by replacing five regular light bulbs with five compact fluorescents?"; "What does it cost to operate two big screen TVs?"; "What will my annual energy cost savings be if I upgrade my house insulation?" and many more.

The reference and educational sections let consumers dig deeper into today's energy efficient equipment, technologies, techniques and savings opportunities.

"The energy analysis performed by our proprietary system offers specifics on how to shrink your energy-use footprint," said Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of Apogee. "We're here to support the energy efficiency efforts of companies like NorthWestern Energy and provide actionable information to their consumers."

Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. Founded in 1994, Apogee's Web-based content and tools reach millions of energy consumers daily. Customers comprise a wide range of energy utilities such as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), Westar Energy (NYSE: WR), CPS Energy and TVA. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.

NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 650,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.
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Apogee Interactive and GoodCents Announce Tom DuBos’ Election to the Association of Energy Services Professionals Board of Directors

3/19/2008

Apogee Interactive Inc. and GoodCents today announced that Tom DuBos has been elected to the board of directors for the Association of Energy Services Professionals, a national 1,400-member organization dedicated improving energy efficiency, energy management and the use of distributed renewable resources nationwide.

DuBos is business alliance manager for Apogee and GoodCents, representing the companies' energy efficiency solutions for electric and gas utilities. DuBos' industry experience includes business development for the emerging automated meter reading industry, consulting on utility key account management and directing One-2-Five® Energy diagnostic workshops for industrial customers to help them develop strategic energy plans. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University.

Apogee specializes in Web-based energy-use analysis applications and energy efficiency content for energy utilities. GoodCents delivers market knowledge, customer acquisition and field services for utility energy efficiency and peak load management programs. Both companies are headquartered just outside of Atlanta.

APOGEE Interactive, Inc. (www.apogee.net) is a leading developer of Web-enabled customer service and energy efficiency applications. Since 1994, Apogee has helped pioneer online energy-use analysis programs at hundreds of utilities nationwide. Today, Apogee's interactive energy content and tools reach millions of consumers daily. Clients include a broad range of utilities such as Southern Company (NYSE: SO), Jackson EMC, Walton EMC, American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR) and FPL (NYSE: FPL). The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms.

GoodCents (www.goodcents.com) has been designing and administering energy efficiency and demand response management programs for North American electric utilities since 1972. An equipment-neutral implementation firm, the company provides leading-edge customer segmentation and targeting solutions as well as data analysis on technology performance. GoodCents employs a dedicated team of developers, analysts and field installers to market, execute and manage load control, energy efficiency and other utility programs. Over the last 35 years, more than 300 utilities have partnered with GoodCents to deliver practical, results-oriented solutions for residential and business customers' energy-related needs.

The Association for Energy Service Professionals (www.aesp.org) provides a full roster of technical and professional development programs annually to its members who are from electric and natural gas utilities, public benefits associations, regulatory agencies, non-profit entities, vendors, manufacturers and consulting firms. AESP facilitates a comprehensive network for energy practitioners and promotes the continual transfer of energy management knowledge and experience.
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Apogee Interactive Inc. Promotes Everett (Chip) Perkins Jr. to Vice President

3/4/2008

ATLANTA, March 4, 2008 - Apogee Interactive Inc., a leader in strategic online solutions for the energy industry, today announced the promotion of Everett (Chip) Perkins Jr. to the position vice president of business and project development.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered just outside the Atlanta perimeter in Tucker, Apogee specializes in the development of interactive Web-based tools for electric and gas utilities across the country. Today, the company's online energy efficiency and educational tools reside on more than 200 utility websites, helping residential and commercial customers to better manage their energy choices and costs.

Perkins came to Apogee in 2006 to help expand the business with investor-owned utilities after operating his own energy consulting firm and having spent more than 25 years in the energy industry. His energy career includes such senior management positions such as vice president of energy management services for Novi Energy, director of energy operations for Colonial Pipeline, director in operations for Entergy and an engineering manager for Duke Energy. He holds a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and has done graduate level business coursework at Rensselaer and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

"Chip's industry expertise, technical knowledge and leadership capabilities expand the depth of understanding and service we provide to our customers even further," said Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of Apogee Interactive Inc. "Apogee continues to build on its core competencies of top-notch engineering talent teamed with the best software development team in the business."

"That's what enables us to develop genius apps for regular folks," said Perkins. "Our newest products are expanding beyond energy efficiency alone to address environmental stewardship, carbon footprints and the actions consumers can take to reduce their footprint," he added.

APOGEE Interactive, Inc. (www.apogee.net) is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. Headquartered in Tucker, GA, Apogee has helped pioneer energy-use analysis applications at hundreds of utilities nationwide since its launch in 1994. Today, Apogee's Web-based energy efficiency educational content and tools reach millions of energy consumers daily. The company's clients include a wide range of investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities such as Southern Company (NYSE: SO), Jackson EMC, Walton EMC, American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR) and FPL (NYSE: FPL). The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.

El Paso Electric Expands Website Tools

2/12/2008

El Paso Electric (NYSE: EE) has expanded its Website to include a new HomeEnergySuite™ -- a series of customized energy efficiency tools developed by Apogee Interactive to address the region's unique weather, evaporative air conditioning, swimming pools and spas.

These energy analysis tools provide insights on year-round energy use, but they'll prove especially helpful as El Paso area residents prepare for summer. "Our mild winters tend to moderate home heating needs, so national "off-the-shelf" energy calculators were likely to miss the mark for our customers' heating and cooling energy use patterns," said Helen Knopp, vice president of public affairs for El Paso Electric. "Our dry desert heat makes evaporative cooling the standard for this area. Apogee was eager to model these varying energy characteristics and customize its Web-based tools to provide further energy-saving insights to our customers."

The HomeEnergySuite offers a full array of evaluation tools including a home energy calculator, appliance calculator, lighting calculator, interactive cut-away house, and comprehensive energy reference library.

The suite's flagship tool - the HomeEnergyCalculator -- starts with select data points provided by the customer, including whether or not they use evaporative cooling, a pool and a spa, and draws upon local weather data, El Paso Electric's energy prices and Apogee's proprietary energy analysis system to produce a quick and accurate view of the home's energy consumption and costs. Customers can then modify their data inputs to see the impact and savings possible with various equipment or usage changes.

Consumers can dig deeper by "walking through" an interactive cut-away house to learn more about home energy consumption room by room. Separate appliance and lighting calculators provide down-to-the-penny energy costs for nearly 50 appliances, electronic devices and lighting options-- everything from compact fluorescent light bulbs and whirlpool tubs to big screen plasma TVs and side-by-side refrigerators.

El Paso Electric also elected to add Apogee's Kids Korner as a part of its online energy efficiency information expansion. This fun-filled, interactive section covers all aspects of energy production and use, from Thomas Edison and solar power to electrical safety and utility industry careers.

"El Paso Electric's service area presented a new challenge for us and we are pleased to bring a new level of precision to our HomeEnergySuite that addresses unique heating and cooling systems, pools and spa equipment," said Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of Apogee.

PECO Provides Energy Saving Answers Online

2/5/2008

PECO is providing leading edge environmental and energy saving information to its customers through a new series of Web-based calculators from Apogee Interactive. PECO customers can now see the specific environmental and energy impacts of their household energy choices by using any of the new calculators on the "Save Energy/Save Money" section of the PECO Web site at (www.pecowinter.com):

- Lighting Calculator
- Appliance Calculator
- Heating Calculator
- Setback Thermostat Calculator
- TV Calculator
- Efficiency Calculator
- Paperless Billing Calculator

Who knew the average household can help avoid the equivalent of five pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year just by paying bills online? Or that you can avoid 100 pounds of CO2 emissions annually by switching two of your regular light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL)? Or the fact that a typical household spends more than a hundred dollars a year just to keep the TVs on?

"We want our customers to know the energy saving opportunities and related environmental benefits by taking just one or two simple actions around the home," said Frank Jiruska, director of Energy and Marketing Services for PECO. "We're trying to make it as easy as possible for our customers to see just how simple it is to save energy and save money," he said. "Armed with actionable information from the calculators, consumers can make more informed choices about appliance operating hours, family energy usage patterns and even home equipment selection."

"These online tools give consumers more perspective, more information and ultimately more control over their impact on the environment," said Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of Apogee. "We're dedicated to helping energy companies like PECO advance environmental stewardship among their customers."

Apogee Interactive, Inc. is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. Founded in 1994, Apogee's Web-based content and tools reach millions of energy consumers daily. Customers comprise a wide range of energy utilities such as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), TVA, LCEC and Jackson EMC. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 480,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,500 people in the region. PECO delivered 78.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 39.9 billion kilowatt-hours-hours of electricity in 2007. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.
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LCEC Brings Spanish Version of Interactive Energy Calculator Online

12/13/2007

When Lee County posted a 17 percent increase in its Hispanic population last year (July 2005 to July 2006), it confirmed LCEC's frontline experience: more and more of its electric customers wanted home energy surveys and company literature in Spanish.

LCEC, which serves a five-county area in southwest Florida, estimates the Hispanic population in its area to be about 15 percent - the same as for the nation as a whole. Not surprisingly, Florida ranks third in largest Hispanic population, right behind California and Texas.

LCEC soon embarked on a systematic conversion of its printed literature into Spanish. The company also selected its most popular online tool -- the Calc-U-Saver - to be its first Spanish website offering. The customized LCEC home energy calculator, developed by APOGEE Interactive, Inc. specifically for LCEC's area weather, energy prices, and pool/spa saturation, came online in 2004. This year, LCEC worked together with APOGEE and Transperfect to produce the Spanish version.

"Consistently high use of the Calc-U-Saver pushed it to the top for online translation," said Melissa Miller, marketing analyst for LCEC. The Calc-U-Saver lets customers analyze various scenarios to achieve energy and cost savings in their homes -- everything from changes in insulation and windows to adjustments in heating and cooling system thermostats.

The Web-based calculator supplements LCEC long-standing energy advisor program for customers, where energy auditors make house calls to conduct an energy audit and discuss ways to save on electric bills. "The Web greatly expands our energy educational reach well beyond our office hours and beyond those we can see face to face or talk with over the phone," said Miller.

LCEC is the first of APOGEE's more than 400 utility clients to translate the residential calculator into Spanish. LCEC was also the first APOGEE client to request and include pools and spa systems in their version of the home energy calculator. "This segment of energy use is too prevalent in our area to ignore. Pools and spas can potentially account for $1,000 in annual energy expense," explained Miller. Using a pool cover could cut that cost in half, according to the Calc-U-Saver.

"LCEC continues to be out in front in the development of innovative energy-saving tools for consumers and businesses," said Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of APOGEE, a leading online solutions company serving the energy industry since 1994. "Their commitment to energy stewardship parallels our mission at APOGEE - to advance energy efficiency activity among utility customers," she said.

APOGEE Interactive, Inc. (www.apogee.net) is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. The company serves more than 400 utilities nationwide, including some of the nation's largest investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities such as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), Jackson EMC, Riverside Public Utilities and Pasadena Water and Power. APOGEE's Web-based content and tools reach millions of electricity consumers daily. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and load management platforms to utilities and their trade associations.

LCEC (www.lcec.net) is a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving a five-county area in southwest Florida. Its service area includes Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Marco Island, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Pine Island, Everglades City, Immokalee and parts of Lehigh Acres. With more than 196,000 customers, it is one of the largest electric cooperatives in the nation.

APOGEE Interactive Announces National Certification as Woman-Owned Business

11/1/2007

APOGEE Interactive staked its claim as a pioneer in
online solutions in 1994 when it brought interactive CD and Web-based energy efficiency training and content to the utility industry. Getting credit for being a pioneer of another kind - as a woman-owned business -- didn't even register on the company's radar screen back then, said APOGEE Interactive president and chief executive officer Susan Gilbert.

Today, with a client roster of more than 200 utilities and 14 years of successful operation under its belt, APOGEE Interactive recently pursued the certification process and gained national certification as a Women's Business Enterprise by the Georgia Women's Business Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council. "This simply makes official what our corporate structure established at the very start of APOGEE," Gilbert said.

"Our passion has been to help utilities with their energy efficiency programs, employee training and customer satisfaction," Gilbert explained, a co-founder of the Atlanta-based company. "We recognized electronic media would be essential in bridging the knowledge gap that was increasing as corporate classroom training began shrinking," Gilbert explained. "We started with portable CD technology and quickly migrated to Web-based solutions."

Just as the country's recognition of minority-owned businesses has evolved into full-fledged supplier diversity programs over the years, APOGEE's online training for utilities naturally grew into broader Internet-based tools that reach millions of utility consumers directly. Featured on the utilities' websites, APOGEE's applications include online energy calculators, reference libraries and even a kid's learning site, where consumers can quickly assess their energy use and find ways to save cost-effectively in their homes. Commercial and industrial utility customers can also tap into energy

calculators, receive detailed billing analysis and participate in real-time demand side management platforms with APOGEE's online business modules.

"Many of our clients are large, investor-owned and municipal utilities that have formal supplier diversity initiatives," said Gilbert. "We finally realized that gaining this certification would not only be beneficial to our business but to our customers' businesses as well."

APOGEE Interactive, Inc. (www.apogee.net ) is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry. Headquartered in Atlanta, APOGEE's web-based content and tools reach millions of energy consumers daily. Customers comprise a wide range of energy utilities such as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), CPS Energy, and Jackson EMC. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (http://www.wbenc.com) is the nation's largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC's national standard of certification involves a thorough review of the business and an onsite inspection to confirm the business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. WBENC is a resource for the more than 700 US companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC's certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs.

APOGEE Interactive Presents ACE Awards to Utilities for

10/3/2007

APOGEE Interactive Inc., a pioneer of online solutions for the energy industry, has presented its annual ACE awards to 10 utilities for best practices in Web-based customer service and energy efficiency programs.

The APOGEE Customer Excellence Awards ceremony took place during the company's 14th Annual Web Workshop, drawing nearly 100 electric and gas utility professionals to Atlanta, Oct. 2 to 4. APOGEE hosts the 3-day event each year to provide a forum for peer exchange, to feature nationally recognized industry speakers and to introduce advances in Web applications,

Headline presentations this year included E Source director Andrew Heath and the company's 2007 Review of North American Electric and Gas Utility Web Sites; EnergyBiz Insider's editor-in-chief Ken Silverstein and his assessment of the evolution of energy efficiency; nationally recognized energy marketing strategist Joel Gilbert, P.E. and chief software architect for APOGEE, addressing trends in the industry; and customer service expert Kimberly King, president of InterWeave and author of "Is Your Call Center Really WOW?"

APOGEE established the ACE Awards program to recognize Excellence in Customer Service, Best in Web Activity, Most Creative Marketing, Outstanding Conservation and Stewardship, and Web Innovation among its more than 200 utility clients. "We have the unique vantage point of observing and participating in the Web communications practices at hundreds of utilities," Susan Gilbert, APOGEE president and chief executive officer. "We see what's really working out there on the Web."

This year's winners for Excellence in Customer Service include Southern Company for piloting a user-friendly energy bill analysis tool for businesses; Southside Electric Cooperative for the highest conversion of onsite energy audit requests to self-service online energy reviews; and Licking Rural Electrification for an interactive meter reading application for customers.

Westar Energy earned the Most Creative Marketing award for launching an exceptionally cost-effective Web site promotion leveraging a wide range of communications vehicles and achieving a near doubling of Web site visitors to date this year - all without the use of traditional paid advertising.

APOGEE's awards for Outstanding Conservation and Stewardship went to FPL Energy for directing the development of a new climate change section for APOGEE's Kids Korner Web module; and to KeySpan/National Grid, for its leadership in the development of a new series of simple "carbon footprint" calculators for customers.

Taking top honors for Best Web Activity was Mitchell EMC for recording more Web traffic than other cooperatives in the 25,000-member range.

The final category of ACE Awards recognizes forward thinking energy professionals who consistently advance online applications and Web tools to better serve their customers. Recipients of the ACE Innovation Award include: Robin White, project manager at Alabama Power; Dan Welklin, energy efficiency program manager at Duke Energy; and Bruce Marie, commercial marketing executive at Coast Electric Power Association.

About APOGEE
Headquartered in Atlanta, APOGEE (www.apogee.net) offers a full suite of online residential and commercial energy content and energy-use analysis applications to enhance customer satisfaction and energy efficiency. APOGEE's more than 200 customers comprise a wide range of investor-owned, municipal and cooperative utilities such as American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), TVA, Riverside Public Utilities and Jackson EMC. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations.