LOUISVILLE, Ky. — E.ON U.S. today announced plans to further lower its carbon footprint and reduce energy use by becoming the largest Kentucky business and the state's first utility company to join the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Low-Carbon IT Campaign.

Specifically, E.ON U.S., parent of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, will enable power management features on its computers and monitors after a period of inactivity. This simple step is another way the utilities are partnering with the EPA to help reduce the nation's growing demand for electricity and help fight global warming.

By implementing the "sleep mode" power-saving feature on its PC equipment, LG&E and KU estimate an annual energy savings of more than 1,659,180 kilowatts, which equates to the average energy use of 136 residential homes annually. The effort also prevents the production of more than 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide, a gas linked to global warming.

According to ENERGY STAR, if all office computers and monitors in the U.S. were set to sleep when not being used, the country could save more than 44 billion kWh or $4 billion worth of electricity and avoid the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of about five million cars each year.

"We are proud to be part of this effort to reduce the carbon footprint of our IT operations," said Wendy Welsh, Senior Vice President of Information Technology for E.ON U.S. "The efficient use of computers and monitors is not just good for our bottom line, it's good for the environment."

Steve Ryan, ENERGY STAR Program Manager, added: "EPA is pleased to recognize E.ON U.S. as a participant in the ENERGY STAR Low-Carbon IT Campaign. By taking this simple pledge, we can help make a substantial difference in the fight against global warming. In addition, we urge other organizations to get involved and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

In addition to joining the ENERGY STAR's Low-Carbon IT Campaign, E.ON U.S. is very active in reducing emissions through its energy efficiency programs for customers. The company is also an ENERGY STAR Partner, which encourages customers to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient, and its company headquarters in downtown Louisville received ENERGY STAR designation in March for using 35 percent less energy than average buildings.

To join the ENERGY STAR Low Carbon IT Campaign, organizations simply take an online pledge to activate power management features on their monitors and computers to save energy and reduce their carbon footprint. Organizations can increase energy savings further by purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified computers and monitors. In turn, EPA provides free assistance to help implement power management, an estimate of the organization's energy and carbon savings, and official recognition from the agency. Organizations can join the campaign by visiting www.energystar.gov/lowcarbonit.

E.ON U.S., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor-owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 324,000 natural gas and 398,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 531,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 12,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937)