More Than 430,000 Free Energy-Saving Light Bulbs to be Given to Consumers Starting on Earth Day

Bulbs Represent Enough Electricity to Illuminate the Sears Tower for a Full

Year

    EVERGREEN PARK, Ill., April 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To celebrate
 Earth Day -- while providing relief from recent electric rate hikes -- a
 partnership of local governments and a consumer group Saturday will give
 away more than 430,000 energy-saving light bulbs, representing enough
 electricity to illuminate the Sears Tower for a full-year -- to
 Chicago-area consumers.
     Under the program, which is sponsored by the Northern Illinois Energy
 Project (NIEP), a nonprofit partnership of the Citizens Utility Board, the
 Cook County State's Attorney's Office, and the City of Chicago, free bulbs
 will be distributed at 40 Wal-Mart stores throughout the region, making
 this one of largest free lighting programs in Chicago-area history.
     The money-saving Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) can save up to
 $30 over the lifetime of each bulb, while slashing energy consumption by a
 staggering 66 percent less than the standard incandescent bulb. The
 combined economic and environmental benefit makes the light-bulb giveaway
 an ideal program at a moment when the public is recognizing Earth Day, but
 also wrestling with the impacts of escalating electricity costs.
     "NIEP is proud to help Northern Illinois families offset the hardship
 of rising energy costs while leading the way in the fight against global
 warming. This CFL give-away provides consumers with an easy way to save
 money on their monthly utility bills, while protecting the environment,"
 said David Kolata, president of NIEP and Executive Director of Citizens
 Utility Board.
     While the price of CFLs has decreased dramatically in recent years, the
 free giveaway affords consumers a chance to start changing their purchasing
 habits at no cost. "The real difference comes when people start changing
 all of their bulbs, and we view this promotion as a great way to get
 started," Kolata added.
     The program is managed by NIEP which was formed with money obtained
 from a legal settlement with ComEd and aims to save money and conserve
 energy for utility customers.
     The CFL promotion will be held on two consecutive Saturdays April 21and
 April 28 during regular Wal-Mart store hours. Two CFLs will be distributed
 per person on a first come first serve basis at the following Wal-Mart
 locations:
     April 21:
     Addison -- 1050 North Rohlwing Road
     Aurora -- 2131 West Galena Boulevard
     Bridgeview -- 10260 South Harlem Avenues
     Country Club Hills -- 4005 West 167th Street
     Darien -- 2189 75th Street
     Dixon -- 1640 South Galena Avenue
     Evergreen Park -- 2500 West 95th Street
     Glen Ellyn -- 3 South 100 Route 53
     Joliet -- 305 South Larkin
     Niles -- 8500 West Gold Road
     Palatine -- 1555 North Rand Road
     Plano -- 6800 West Route 34
     Rockford -- 3849 Northridge Drive
     St. Charles -- 150 Smith Road
     Streamwood -- 850 South Barrington Road
     Vernon Hills -- 555 Townline Road
     Villa Park -- 900 South Route 83
     Waukegan -- 3900 Fountain Square Place
     Wheeling -- 1455 Lane-Cook Road
 
     April 28:
     Batavia -- 801 North Randall Road
     Belvidere -- 2101 Gateway Center Drive
     Bloomingdale -- 314 West Army Trail Road
     Bolingbrook -- 200 South Bolingbrook Drive
     Bradley -- 1260 Kinzie Avenue
     Crestwood -- 4700 West 135th Street
     DeKalb -- 2300 Sycamore Street
     Freeport -- 1755 South West Avenue
     Glenwood -- 103 Holbrook Road
     Hodgkins -- 9450 West Joliet Road
     Joliet -- 1401 Illinois Route 59
     Lansing -- 16771 Torrence Avenue
     Matteson -- 21410 South Cicero Avenue
     Morris -- 333 East Route 6
     Naperville -- 776 South Route 59
     Niles -- 5630 Touhy Avenue
     Northlake -- 137 West North Avenue
     Rockford -- 7219 Walton Street
     Round Lake Beach -- 772 East Rollins Road
     Woodstock -- 1275 Lake Avenue
     The Northern Illinois Energy Project (NIEP) is a partnership of the
 Citizens Utility Board (CUB), an Illinois non-profit utility consumer
 advocacy group, the City of Chicago, and the Cook County State's Attorney's
 Office. NIEP was created to develop and administer innovative programs to
 promote energy conservation and reduce electricity costs for residential
 customers of ComEd.
 
 

SOURCE Northern Illinois Energy Project