In celebration of Earth Hour, select Sobeys and Price Choppers in Ontario will be joining thousands of businesses and individuals worldwide in reducing light levels between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm on March 29th, 2008.

Burlington, ON, March 18, 2008- In conjunction with the Ontario Power Authority, Sobeys, one of Canada’s largest food retailers, is installing an advanced lighting control system that will automatically reduce store lighting levels when Ontario’s electricity demand is at its highest. In-store control systems will be linked via the Internet to an hourly price signal provided by Ontario’s grid operator - the Independent Electricity System Operator. When hourly electricity price levels hit a certain threshold thereby indicating high provincial demand, the control system will automatically shift into load-shed mode and lighting levels will be temporarily reduced.

“The Earth Hour lighting reduction represents a major milestone in launching this enhanced energy management program”, says Kirk Shiplo, Manager, Energy and Maintenance, Sobeys Ontario. “It strengthens Sobey’s ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility commitment to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.”

These short-term electricity actions are referred to as Demand Response. Demand Response, where electricity end users like Sobeys perform actions that result in short term reductions in peak energy demand can go a long way in alleviating electricity shortfalls in the province, such as the blackouts and brownouts experienced in the summers of 2003 and 2005.

The enhanced control systems that Sobeys will use for this project have been developed by leaders in grocery store control systems. Energy Advantage has assisted Sobeys in the development, implementation, and ongoing management of the program. "We are pleased to launch this Demand Response service with Sobeys. It represents one of the many energy efficiency initiatives being undertaken by the company. In the current environment of conservation, Sobeys will be making a very direct and measurable reduction in its demand on the Ontario electricity grid", says Don McLean, Vice President of Demand Response at Energy Advantage, Inc.

Sobeys expects to have the program operational in 70 stores in time for the Earth Hour event. By May 1, the program will be fully operational.