Rye Brook, N.Y -- The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) named four Champions of Energy Efficiency today at its Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry. Presented to outstanding industrial sector leaders, the awards recognize leadership and accomplishment in the energy efficiency field. Winners were selected based on demonstrated excellence in program implementation, research and development, energy policy, private sector initiatives, and international initiatives. The 2003 winners are:

• Aimee McKane. As a Program Manager with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 1995, McKane has been a leader in facilitating the development of industrial market transformation initiative partnerships, including Compressed Air Challenge and the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Best Practices. In this capacity, she has developed innovative ways to engage the public and private sectors in preparing technical materials to educate U.S. industry on the energy benefits of system optimization. She has shown exceptional persistence and skill in bringing together disparate market players, and hammering out compromises that have truly transformed markets towards greater energy efficiency.

• Gunnar Walmet. In his capacity as Industry and Building R&D Program Director at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for the past 14 years, Walmet has been a leader in developing one of the most important state-based industrial energy efficiency R&D programs in the country. He has also been a national leader in the area of promoting industrial energy efficiency, encouraging other states and the federal government to follow the example set by NYSERDA. Furthermore, Walmet is a longtime supporter of ACEEE's industrial program, encouraging ACEEE to establish the program in the early 1990s, and supporting the establishment and continued success of the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, which has been hosted by NYSERDA in New York since 1995.

• Rohm and Haas, Inc., Deer Park Plant. The energy management program at Rohm and Haas' largest plant in Deer Park, Texas achieved impressive energy savings and emissions reductions from concerted effort by both plant and corporate staff. This effort, initiated before recent increases in energy prices, helped improve the competitive position of the facility in the current economic market, with savings at the plant exceeding $18.5 million in 2002. The facility has also encouraged industry at large to follow its example. Rohm and Haas staff has helped lead many national programs, including the U.S. Department of Energy's Steam Challenge program, and also has participated in association and conference advisory capacities including the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners and the Industrial Energy Technology Conference. Recently the staff helped plan the Texas Technology Showcase 2003, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Texas Industries of the Future, and the facility served as a showcase for the conference.

• Steven Schultz. Schultz has directed the corporate energy management program at 3M during much of the past decade, becoming one of the most respected corporate energy managers in the country. In addition to the contributions within his company, he has been a tireless advocate for industrial energy efficiency, serving as an advisor to most of the national industrial energy efficiency initiatives, including those sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Another example of his leadership is his service on the advisory board of the Industrial Energy Technology Conference, for which he has organized and led the Energy Managers Workshop in recent years. In addition, Schultz has twice been a panel leader at the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry.

About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1980 and dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For information about ACEEE, its programs, and its publications, contact ACEEE, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036-5525 or visit http://www.aceee.org.