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Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. Offers 50% Wind Electricity Supply for Montgomery County, Maryland's Clean Energy Rewards Program

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 09:00 CST

HERNDON, Va., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Gas Energy Services (WGES), a leading competitive supplier of electricity and natural gas to mid- Atlantic businesses and residential customers, has announced a new 50 percent wind electricity offer for residential and commercial customers in Montgomery County, Md. Customers in Montgomery County who choose this offer will receive a cash credit through Montgomery County's Clean Energy Rewards program. Customers can sign up for the new offer at http://www.wges.com/.

The Clean Energy Rewards program, announced on Nov. 15 by Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, is the first county government sponsored program in the country to provide cash incentives to residents and businesses that purchase energy from renewable sources. WGES is the only certified supplier in the program offering qualifying electricity supplies to both residential and commercial customers.

The Montgomery County Clean Energy Rewards program provides credits of 1 cent for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of eligible clean energy consumed by residential customers. Non-residential customers, such as businesses and congregations, will receive 1.5 cent per kWh. The County's Department of Environmental Protection, which administers the program, estimates that this credit should offset 40 percent of the incremental costs of renewable energy supplies. The rewards will be distributed by WGES and appear as credits on consumers' monthly utility bills.

"WGES commends Montgomery County for its ongoing leadership in the effort to improve the environment for the benefit of everyone who lives and works in this region. Clean Energy Rewards will make it possible for more consumers to make the right choice for a cleaner tomorrow. Purchasing green power not only helps to keep the environment cleaner today, it encourages the continued investment in the construction of new renewable generation facilities," said Harry Warren, WGES president.

Warren noted that many Montgomery County businesses and institutions have already made commitments to renewable energy including Austin Grill restaurants and Cedar Lane Unitarian Church in Bethesda, and Ecoprint and Georgetown Insurance in Silver Spring. WGES has also provided wind-generated power to a consortium of Maryland government agencies, led by the Montgomery County Government, since June 2004. In 2004, this was the largest purchase of wind power by local jurisdictions in the country and the largest commitment to wind energy in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In September 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership ranked the Montgomery County consortium purchase as the third largest completed annual green power purchase in the local government sector.

Washington Gas Energy Services is one of the largest competitive providers of electricity and natural gas in the mid-Atlantic region, and supplies approximately 200,000 customers in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Headquartered in Herndon, Va., Washington Gas Energy Services is an affiliate of Washington Gas and a subsidiary of WGL Holdings, Inc. . Consumers can learn more about WGES and sign up for its Clean Energy Rewards offer by visiting WGES on the web at http://www.wges.com/.

For more information about the Clean Energy Rewards program, consumers can visit the County's website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cleanenergyrewards, or call the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection at 240-777-7700.

Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc.

CONTACT: Kimberly J. August of Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc.,+1-703-793-7565 (O) or +1-703-408-5472 (C)

Web site: http://www.wges.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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