[EPA press release - October 18, 1994]

Mary Nichols, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, will present the Agency's first Energy Star Computer Awards in Washington, D.C., on October 20 to 12 organizations in six states that have made outstanding voluntary efforts in manufacturing energy-efficient computers, monitors and printers. The awards will also acknowledge organizations that are marketing the Energy Star features of their equipment and educating the public on the benefits of energy-efficiency and pollution prevention.

At the Conference, EPA will also be announcing results from a recent report indicating that over 40 percent of personal computers and 85 percent of printers sold in the United States from July 1993 through June 1994 were meeting Energy Star requirements. Companies that are meeting Energy Star requirements for a new type of computer chip called "pentium" will be displaying their systems at the Conference.

EPA's Energy Star Computer program is a partnership with the computer industry to promote the manufacture and purchase of energy-efficient personal computers, monitors and printers to reduce air pollution and global warming emissions from power generation at electric utilities. By the year 2000, Energy Star products will save enough electricity to power Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, saving consumers nationwide nearly $2 billion annually on their electric bills. Since the participation has grown from 150 participants to more than 500, accounting for about 85 percent of the U.S. sales of desktop computers and 90 percent of the laser printer market.

Nichols will present the awards Thursday, October 20, from 6-7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom, Salon Three of the Washington, D.C., J.W. Marriott Hotel, Pennsylvania and 14th Sts. N.W.

The awardees and their locations: CTX International Inc., Walnut, California; Optiquest Inc., Walnut, California; MAG Innovision Inc., Santa Ana, California; Hewlett Packard Computer Products Organization, Palo Alto, California; Nanao USA Corp., Torrance, California; Intel, Santa Clara, California; VESA, San Jose, California; Samsung Information Systems, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey; Hewlett-Packard Computer Products Organization, Boise, Idaho; Lexmark International Inc., Lexington, Kentucky; USA Teknik Inc., Dallas, Texas; Compaq Computer Corp., Houston, Texas; and Canon USA Inc., Lake Success, New York.

On the following day, Friday, October 21, at the same location, Catherine Zoi, Chief of Staff, White House Office on Environmental Policy, EPA and General Services Administration representatives and senior level executives and design experts from the country's largest computer companies will participate in an all-day conference to emphasize Energy Star benefits, chart progress and investigate new program and marketing opportunities.