Baldwin has a history of supporting bills that call for energy efficiencies, environmentally friendly practices
MANITOWOC, Wis. — April 15, 2009 — U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin today visited Orion Energy Systems (Nasdaq: OESX) to learn about the expanding company and the ways its innovative technology is positively affecting the environment and helping solve the country’s electricity grid capacity challenges.
Baldwin, D-Wis., toured the company’s Manitowoc manufacturing facility and new technology center, which is set to open on Earth Day, April 22.
“I think Orion can be a leader and a role model for energy efficiency. Their innovative technology is creating jobs and bringing significant energy and cost savings to the commercial and industrial sector,” Baldwin said. “There’s a lot to be said for leading by example.”
As part of today’s meeting, Baldwin learned how Orion is helping the U.S. overcome electrical grid capacity challenges through permanent distributed load reduction, which results from deploying Orion’s integrated system. The integrated system includes Orion’s high-intensity fluorescent Compact Modular™ lighting platform, the InteLite® wireless control system and the direct renewable Apollo® Solar Light Pipe.
When deployed in industrial and commercial facilities, the integrated system permanently reduces energy consumption, freeing electrical capacity for constrained utilities, and decreasing greenhouse gases, which are the byproduct of electricity generation.
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Baldwin has long supported bills aimed at addressing global climate change, something she says is “long overdue, drastically needed and vital to our national security, our economy and our environment.”
Baldwin has routinely co-sponsored and supported bills that protect the environment and encourage energy efficiency, which coincide with Orion’s belief that energy efficiency is the lowest cost, most environmentally beneficial source of energy available.
The Energy and Commerce Committee is set to meet next week to begin drafting a climate change and energy policy that President Barack Obama wants acted on by year’s end, Baldwin said.
The committee will discuss a renewable energy standard that will require 25 percent of electricity to be produced by renewable energy by 2025; the possibility of a carbon cap and trade program that will reduce carbon emissions from utilities and industries by 80 percent over 2005 levels by 2050; and energy efficiency and conservation.
“We are poised to act very quickly and this will likely put a huge emphasis on energy efficiency,” Baldwin said. “That will create a huge opportunity for companies like Orion that are already looking ahead.”
“We applaud Rep. Baldwin’s support of bills that curtail emissions and help protect the environment,” said Orion President and CEO Neal Verfuerth. “Her continued support of energy efficiency will help create new, green collar jobs that will stimulate the economy, and help improve the environment for generations to come.”
Orion’s innovation and technology recently won the praise of President Barack Obama, who applauded Orion in a White House speech promoting clean energy, the creation of green collar jobs and the importance of energy efficiency. Obama challenged Orion and other clean energy companies to “mount a historic effort to end once and for all our dependence on foreign oil.”
Baldwin represents a portion of southern Wisconsin that includes Dane County, Green County and Columbia County, as well as portions of Jefferson County, Sauk County, Rock County and Walworth County.
To request photos of Baldwin’s visit to Orion, contact Linda Diedrich, Orion’s director of corporate communications, at (920) 482-1988 or ljd@oes1.com.
Orion has deployed its energy management systems in 4,387 facilities across North America. Since 2001, Orion technology has displaced more than 423 megawatts, saving customers more than $514 million and reducing indirect carbon dioxide emissions by 4.3 million tons. Orion’s technology was recently internationally recognized with a Platts Global Energy Award for the single most innovative and sustainable green technology of 2008.
Orion Energy Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: OESX) is a leading power technology enterprise that designs, manufactures and implements energy management systems, consisting primarily of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting systems, controls and related services for commercial and industrial customers without compromising their quantity or quality of light. For more information, visit http://www.oesx.com.
Media Contact
Linda Diedrich
Director Corporate Communications
(920) 482-1988
ljd@oes1.com
