QUINN SALUTES NAPERVILLE FOR ENERGY-SAVING INITIATIVES AT ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUGUST 2003 NORTHEAST BLACKOUT

                     NAPERVILLE, IL -Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn saluted the city of Naperville for the Residential Streetlight Improvement Project which will save millions of taxpayer dollars by replacing residential streetlights with energy-efficient, high-pressure sodium lights.

            "Naperville is doing exactly what our Energy Task Force report recommended - planning responsibly for future energy consumption," said Quinn.  "As the population of Naperville increases, energy use increases. I applaud the city of Naperville for looking into ways to save energy and help avoid a blackout such as the Northeast blackout one year

ago which affected more than 50 million people."

            The Residential Streetlight Improvement Project will replace 250-watt mercury vapor lights with 100-watt high pressure sodium lights.  The sodium lights will use less than half the amount of energy then the mercury lights.

            Joining Quinn at the event were Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel, City of Naperville's Operations and Projects Manager Dennis Simms and General Electric Lighting sales representative Rod Young.

            "Naperville has the opportunity to showcase the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy and I hope that the success of this project will make Naperville a model for the rest of the state," Quinn said.

After the worst blackout in North American history in August, 2003, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich convened the "Special Task Force on the Condition and Future of the Illinois Energy Infrastructure".  The Special Task Force, chaired by Lt. Gov. Quinn, was charged with examining Illinois' electric grid, nuclear safety procedures, and personnel levels at power generating and distribution facilities.  It was asked to develop ways to promote efficiency and

foster renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and biomass.  It examined emergency preparedness and back-up communications systems at key state agencies and energy efficiency standards in other states.

Last month, the Task Force released a comprehensive report and 32 recommendations on      ways to avoid widespread power outages in Illinois.  The report and recommendations are available at www.BlackoutSolutions.org.  Among the 32 recommendations presented in the report were: more homegrown renewable energy, enhanced investment in utility employees, and stronger cyber security.