LIPA/King Kullen Energy Efficiency Partnership Earns “Business Leader” Award from NEEP

Massapequa, NY—July 25, 2007— The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) today  announced that a unique partnership with King Kullen supermarkets has earned the Long Island chain a “Northeast Business Leaders for Energy Efficiency” award from the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP). 

Since the inception of LIPA’s Commercial Construction Program (CCP), King Kullen has participated in and taken advantage of the many energy efficient, cost-effective opportunities it offers. King Kullen’s energy efficiency investments have allowed the company to reduce its annual electricity consumption by between 20 and 25 percent for a total annual savings of more than $2 million.

King Kullen has shown a commitment to continued improvement in energy performance by participating in LIPA’s CEI Retrofit Energy and Capacity Program (RECAP).  RECAP alone, will reduce King Kullen’s electricity consumption annually by approximately 12,000,000 Kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is enough electricity to power about 1,200 average-sized Long Island homes.

“LIPA is very pleased and encouraged by the forward thinking of Long Island’s own King Kullen,” said LIPA CEO/President Richard M. Kessel. “By participating in our Clean Energy Initiative, King Kullen is ensuring that their stores will be energy efficient and environmentally responsible while achieving significant long-term financial savings.”

The Business Leaders for Energy Efficiency Award was formally presented at the 2007 Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit, held May 11 in Rhode Island. King Kullen, which was nominated for the honor by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), earned the award for its commitment to energy efficiency as evidenced by a series of factors, including documented energy savings; energy efficiency investment and cost-effectiveness; comprehensiveness; commitment from management to continued energy performance; proven operations and practices; and overall organizational leadership.

LIPA also commended King Kullen for the time and effort invested to explore new technologies such as LED lighting in their reach-in display cases, desiccant systems for humidity control, daylighting with skylights, reflective roofing, building envelope, mechanical systems, as well as using tried and true measures such as liquid refrigerant pumping and high efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems (HVAC).  In addition, King Kullen is also recognized by LIPA for being pro-active in LIPA’s Research and Development efforts.

“To remain competitive in today’s food market we need to find ways to keep costs down at all times.  Our utility bills are going up faster than any expense in our company,” said Thomas Cullen, Vice President of Government and Industry Relations, King Kullen. “Thanks to LIPA’s Commercial Construction Program, the investment of relighting all of King Kullen’s 46 stores has saved us $2.2 million in utility costs.”

Recently, King Kullen participated in a LEED Charrette to learn about the benefits of a LEED Certified Building and how to successfully achieve the points required for Certification.

The family owned supermarket continues to be on the forefront of energy efficiency by participating in LIPA’s whole building measure, one of the programs offered in LIPA’s CCP, in two of their projects:  a total rehab of their new Massapequa Park store and a new construction “Wild By Nature” store in Oceanside.  In implementing whole building measures both projects will incorporate cost-effective, energy-efficient, environmentally responsible electric technologies into their construction plan.  Together with LIPA experts, King Kullen’s building design team will work jointly, from concept to completion, to develop energy efficient buildings. 

LIPA has several commercial business programs available through the Clean Energy Initiative (CEI), a $355-million, ten-year effort to reduce the use of fossil fuels, to assist large businesses to lower operational costs and gain the greatest utilization of energy resources.  King Kullen has been proactive in utilizing many of the programs as previously mentioned above.

The Long Island-based, King Kullen, is recognized by the Smithsonian Institute as America’s First Supermarket, which has grown into a regional chain of food stores.  Today, three generations after the start of the company, King Kullen is still a family owned and operated leader in the Long Island supermarket business.  They currently own 49 stores, which includes 46 King Kullens and three Wild By Nature stores.  King Kullen employs approximately 5,000 people.

“Wild By Nature,” is King Kullen’s newest venture with a mission to promote healthy life styles by supplying the freshest, most wholesome foods along with high-quality natural health care products, to its customers.

“It comes as no surprise to LIPA that King Kullen is one of our most proactive business customers when it comes to energy conservation.  The same values they seek to bring to the families on Long Island are extended to the environment,” said Mr.Kessel.

To learn more about using electricity efficiently visit LIPA’s Web site at www.lipower.org .

NEEP is a regional nonprofit organization founded in 1996 whose mission is to promote energy efficiency in homes, buildings and industry in the Northeast U.S. through regionally coordinated programs and policies that increase the use of energy efficient products, services and practices, and that help achieve a cleaner environment and a more reliable and affordable energy system. For more information, visit www.neep.org.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric utility, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens.  LIPA is the 3rd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of customers served and the 6th largest in terms of electricity delivered.  In 2006, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State in all three major reliability categories.  LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.  

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