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Georgia Power Encourages Employees to Protect the Environment

Posted on: Thursday, 19 April 2007, 15:00 CDT

ATLANTA, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- As Georgia Power celebrates Earth Day, the company is encouraging its employees to help protect the environment by sharing with them a few simple things they can do at home and at work to make their environment a greener place.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGO)

Several vendors will be on hand at Georgia Power Monday, April 23 to share environmental tips with employees on how "green" they can be. Georgia Power customers can use these tips in their homes and workplaces as well. Georgia Power is looking forward to hosting 25 internal and external organizations for its Earth Day celebration including visitors from the Clean Air Campaign, Milliken Carpets, Pollinator Gardens, Fulton County Water Services, Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Recycling Coalition, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Keep Georgia Beautiful, Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, Georgia Tech, Nature Conservancy, Southface and Let's Get Wild.

Here are a few simple things that can be done to make a work environment a greener place:

Watch your paper * Avoid printouts if you can work with documents on your monitor. * Keep leave-behind copies of documents for meetings to a minimum. Refer colleagues to stored files on shared drives or use SharePoint. * Make double-sided prints or copies to conserve paper. * Use the back side of single-sided pages for notes or draft copies before recycling. * Encourage guests and co-workers to recycle cans and bottles after meetings. Change your transportation habits * Take control over your commute and save time and money. * You don't have to sit in traffic every day. Check out your company's commuter programs or look for programs in your area. Change your coffee habit * Say no to Styrofoam cups. Bring in your own reusable mug for your next coffee break. * Use your own water bottle instead of paper/plastic cups when dining out for breakfast and lunch. Here are some things that can be done at home to help save the planet: Reduce your electricity use * Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). * Replace dial or slide thermostats with programmable digital ones. * Set thermostats at 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and 68 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. * Change your filters once a month during the heating and cooling season. * Wrap electric water heaters with an insulated blanket. * Have heating and cooling systems professionally serviced once a year. * Check caulk and weather-stripping around your windows and doors. * Seal around wiring and plumbing penetrations. * Properly seal ductwork. * Use storm windows or double-paned replacement windows to greatly reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. * Properly insulate attic, walls and floors. * Go to http://www.georgiapower.com/ for more energy efficiency tips. ENERGY STAR shines bright * ENERGY STAR appliances are 10 to 50 percent more energy efficient than unrated products. Visit http://www.energystar.gov/ for more information. * The 2005 Energy Policy Act allows for tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements. Visit http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm. Recycle old PCs and printer cartridges * Dell and Apple recycle old computers for free when you purchase new models - even if your old PC is another brand. * Ink and toner cartridges can be recharged and used again.

Another way customers can help protect the environment is by participating in Georgia Power's Green Energy(R) program. Green Energy is electricity produced from environmentally friendly sources like solar, wind, hydro, biomass and landfill gas-to-energy. Since the program began, more than 2,500 Georgia Power customers have signed up for 4,300 100-kilowatt-hour blocks of Green Energy per month. This commitment is equivalent to planting 500,000 trees or not driving 8.5 million miles per year. Customers interested in moving toward purchasing renewable energy resources through Georgia Power's Green Energy program may enroll by calling 1-888-534-6186 or visiting http://www.georgiapower.com/greenenergy.

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility with rates well below the national average. Georgia Power serves 2.3 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Georgia Power

CONTACT: Lolita B. Jackson of Georgia Power, +1-404-506-7676,+1-800-282-1696, corpcomm@georgiapower.com

Web site: http://www.georgiapower.com/http://www.energystar.gov/http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htmhttp://www.georgiapower.com/greenenergy

Source: PRNewswire

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