PRESS RELEASE (350 WORDS) January 22, 2009

Contacts:

Russ Doty 406-656-2763

Ron Tussing 406-690-9561

Dr. Paul Williamson 406-370-6601

PSC ASKED TO CUT NIGHTTIME LIGHTING ENERGY USE BY 50+%

Ron Tussing and Dr. Paul Williamson are filing a petition Friday, January 23rd asking the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) to require that LEDs (light emitting diodes) be used in all new street and area lights.

“Full implementation of this proposed rule would save Northwestern Energy’s customers between $800,000 and $2.5 million a year,” said Tussing.

Dr. Williamson indicated, “Current LED technology reduces by up to 50% the energy used in street lighting, sometimes more.”

“While Paul was Dean of the University of Montana’s College of Technology and Ron is the Mayor of Billings, it is important to note that both men are not petitioning in their official capacity,” said Russ Doty who is counsel on the case. “It demonstrates that as individuals we can ‘start reinventing America’ as called for by President Obama. We hope other individuals will ‘roll up their sleeves’ and support this as well.”

“These LED street lights are projected to last five times longer than conventional lights,” Williamson noted. “That means you don’t have to replace them as often. It cuts bulb replacement, maintenance, and workers compensation costs. And LED luminaires focus light where it is needed. They don’t bleed light into bedroom windows or to the night sky.”

“Unlike conventional street lights, LEDs can be more easily dimmed in the wee hours of the morning or put on motion sensors in rural or other areas where light is not always required,” Williamson explained.

“Several cities around the world have begun LED street lighting projects,” Tussing said. “Ann Arbor Michigan expects to save $100,000 year by replacing 1000 of its downtown decorative lights. And Anchorage has begun replacing 16,000 of its ‘cobrahead-type’ street lights.”

Doty indicated, “The proposed rule would also require retrofitting of existing lights on a phased in basis. And the rule provides a financing mechanism and variances if necessary.”

The PSC will have 60 days to decide whether it will institute a formal rulemaking on the request according to law cited in the petition. The proposed rule, rationale for it and pictures of LED lighting in different cities are posted at www.newworldwindpower.com