U.S. Homeowners One Step Closer to Saving Energy Dollars and Combating Climate Change Thanks to U.S. Conference of Mayors Action

Midwest mayors played key role in winning unanimous support for building
code changes designed to boost residential energy efficiency by 30 percent
or more

CHICAGO, June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
(MEEA), strongly supports this week's resolution by the U.S. Conference of
Mayors to support "The 30% Solution," a comprehensive package of achievable
and affordable residential energy-efficiency measures proposed for
inclusion in the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

Midwest mayors accounted for a third of the committee that helped make
this outcome possible, demonstrating their commitment to energy efficiency,
economic growth and the public good. They include: Michael Belsky (Highland
Park, IL); David Berger (Lima, OH); Roy Buol (Dubuque, IA); Elizabeth Kautz
(Burnsville, MN); Brenda Lawrence (Southfield, MI); Gene Marks (Northbrook,
IL); Larry Nelson (Waukesha, WI); Thomas O'Grady (North Olmsted, OH); David
Pope (Oak Park, IL); and Laurel Prussing (Urbana, IL).

As America's model energy code, the IECC -- developed and published by
the International Code Council (ICC) -- is the code of choice for most U.S.
cities, counties and states that adopt energy-efficiency standards for
building construction, and the model energy code recognized by federal law.

The proposed IECC enhancements will set more aggressive
energy-efficiency standards in every part of the house, including heating
and cooling, thermal envelope, air sealing, hot water heating and lighting.
The IECC is updated every three years. This latest set of changes was
spearheaded by the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC), a broad-based
alliance of energy-efficiency advocates of which MEEA is a member.

"The support of the U.S. Conference of Mayors will go a long way toward
getting the votes needed to pass The 30% Solution at the International Code
Council's annual meeting in Minneapolis this September," notes Wendy Jaehn,
Executive Director, MEEA. "As EECC coordinator, William Fay, has pointed
out, homes use 20 percent of our nation's energy and account for roughly
one-fifth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. That's why it is so important
for the mayors to send their maximum allowable delegates to the ICC
conference to vote for the measures."

The success or failure of this initiative depends upon the eligible
voters who are actually present in the room when the vote takes place,
sometime between September 17 and 23, 2008. Depending on the population
they represent, each city, state, county, or other governmental member of
the ICC can send four, eight, or 12 voting delegates.

Calls for a stronger energy code have come from a growing number of
highly respected organizations, including members of Congress and the
EPA/DOE National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, ASHRAE, Western
Governors' Association, U.S. Department of Energy, Architecture 2030,
National Petroleum Council, American Institute of Architects, and Mayors
for Climate Protection.

About MEEA

The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (http://www.mwalliance.org) is a
collaborative network advancing energy efficiency in the Midwest to support
sustainable economic development and environmental preservation. MEEA
fosters market penetration of existing energy-efficient technologies and
promotes new technologies, products and best practices, including renewable
energy.