PowerStream Top Utility in Employee Commuting Competition

VAUGHAN, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 23, 2012) - PowerStream was recently awarded first place in Pollution Probe's 2012 Clean Air Commute Corporate Challenge, a friendly competition among energy sector head offices that is part of the annual Clean Air Commute. The award is given to the utility with the highest percentage of employee participation at the company's head office during the week-long event.

PowerStream won the Corporate Challenge with a 31 per cent participation rate, which was the highest among Ontario Power Generation, Toronto Hydro and Enbridge Gas Distribution. This is the first time that the electricity distribution company, which services customers in parts of York Region and Simcoe County, has finished ahead of the others in the challenge. The competition ran from June 18 to 24, with PowerStream employees' combined commuting efforts preventing 3,787 kilograms of pollutants from contaminating the air.

The event encourages employees to use one of many smart commuting options available. This includes vanpooling, carpooling, biking, walking, taking public transportation or even driving a tuned-up vehicle, all of which significantly reduce the emission of air pollutants. Supported by extensive company carpool and vanpool programs, PowerStream employees were committed to improving air quality through the utilization of a variety of commuting options.

CORE NEWS

• PowerStream has previously been recognized on several occasions for its environment stewardship. The company was designated as a 'Smart Commute GOLD Workplace' (2012), awarded 'Smart Commute Employer of the Year Award' for North Toronto, Vaughan (2011, 2009), named one of 'Ontario's Environmental Leaders' by the Ministry of the Environment (2010) and presented by the Electricity Distributors Association with its 'Environmental Excellence Award' in 2011 and 2009.

QUOTES

• "I'm proud of PowerStream for being a leader in environmental and social responsibility initiatives," said Frank Scarpitti, PowerStream Board Chair and Mayor of the City of Markham. "It's our employees who have won this award for PowerStream, and critically helping us achieve our corporate goal of reducing transit and commuting emissions by at least 10 per cent by 2013."
  
  
• "As a result of our vanpool and carpool programs, 25 per cent of our employees are smart commuting," explained Brian Bentz, PowerStream's President and CEO. "These figures are extremely high for a company of our size, and we are very proud of our employees' efforts."
  
  
• "PowerStream is one of Smart Commute's most dedicated partners," explains Brian Shifman, Executive Director of Smart Commute NTV. "We are thrilled to be able to partner with such an environmentally-committed and results-driven organization."
  

ABOUT SMART COMMUTE

Smart Commute NTV is an award-winning, non-profit Transportation Management Association committed to reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and taking action on climate change. To learn how you can partner with Smart Commute NTV, visit http://www.smartcommutentv.ca.

ABOUT POLLUTION PROBE

Pollution Probe is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization that exists to improve the health and well being of Canadians by advancing policy that achieves positive, tangible environmental change. For more information, visit http://www.pollutionprobe.org.

ABOUT POWERSTREAM

PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to approximately 340,000 customers residing or owning a business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario. It is jointly owned by the Cities of Barrie, Markham and Vaughan.

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