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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">P.O. BOX 6015 <br />COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">March 28, 2023</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Matt Nestor
<br />Public Information Specialist
<br />City of Columbia Utilities
<br />573.874.7307
<br />Matthew.Nestor@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Water & Light earns ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award for fourth straight year</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display: inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City of Columbia Water & Light Utility is proud to announce that it has received the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for the fourth year in a row.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is the sixth straight year Water & Light has been named Partner of the Year to qualify for the Sustained Excellence Award, the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We are honored to receive this distinguished award for a fourth straight year," Utilities Services Manager Brandon Renaud said. "Efficiency is a building block of the clean energy economy. We look forward to building on this achievement and continuing the tradition of energy efficiency in Columbia."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sustained Excellence Award winners are part of a distinguished group that has made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change and protecting public health through energy efficiency. They are among the nation's leaders in driving value for the environment, the economy and the American people.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2023 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR's awards program, visit <a href="https://www.energystar.gov/about/how_energy_star_works/our_partners/awards/winners">energystar.gov/awardwinners</a>.</span></p>
<p><strong>About Columbia Water & Light</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City of Columbia's Home Performance with the ENERGY STAR program uses a whole-house approach to energy efficiency and offers rebates and low-interest loans to help residents achieve their energy-efficiency goals. This program was initiated in 2008, and the Utility has introduced additional programs to help residents reach their energy efficiency goals. Water & Light staff members also provide a Building Performance Institute certified contractor training program and partners with Boone Electric Cooperative to create consistency to ensure that all Columbia's residents have the opportunity to benefit from energy efficiency improvements.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For more information about the City's programs, visit <a href="https://ColumbiaPowerPartners.com">ColumbiaPowerPartners.com</a> or <a href="https://www.como.gov/utilities/columbia-power-partners/">CoMo.gov</a>.</span></p>
<p><strong>About ENERGY STAR</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ENERGY STAR</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">®</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state and local organizations - including more than 40% of the Fortune 500</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">®</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> - rely on their partnership with the U.S. EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR's impacts can be found at energystar.gov/impacts, and state-level information can be found at energystar.gov/statefacts.</span></p></div>
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