The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded GE Appliances & Lighting the ENERGY STAR(R) Sustained Excellence Award for the fifth straight year. GE Appliances & Lighting has more than 775 ENERGY STAR-qualified high-performance household lighting and appliance products that help curb energy spending and reduce greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions. The award marks the seventh year GE has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. Award winners are selected from more than 17,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

"EPA is recognizing GE Appliances & Lighting with our highest ENERGY STAR award -- the 2010 Sustained Excellence Award," said Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. "GE Appliances & Lighting's continued leadership and commitment to energy efficiency is a testament to what we can accomplish to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our global environment." GE Appliances & Lighting will receive the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 18, 2010.

Since 2001, GE Appliances & Lighting has invested well over $1 billion to develop and bring to market high-efficiency products. Since 2004, GE has introduced nearly 200 new high-efficiency lighting and appliance products that meet the DOE/EPA's stringent ENERGY STAR requirements.

Last year alone, Americans, by using ENERGY STAR-qualified products, saved $17 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 30 million vehicles.

Lighting leads the way

In 2009, GE listed 293 ENERGY STAR-qualified Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) products, and 98 percent of total GE CFL sales were ENERGY STAR qualified.

In 2009, GE introduced a covered CFL that incorporates innovative design features that are subject to more than a dozen patent applications, allowing the lamp to have virtually the same size and shape as a standard A-line incandescent bulb. The CFL was developed to meet the needs of consumers who wanted a more aesthetically pleasing and energy-efficient bulb that would fit traditional fixtures and even be used with clip-on lampshades.

These new covered GE Energy Smart CFL bulbs are offered in three wattages (with nearly the same light output as the incandescent bulbs they replace) to meet a variety of lighting needs. Each offers an 8,000-hour rated life and a 5-year limited warranty based on four hours of daily use.

In addition to designing products that are energy-efficient and consumer-friendly, GE has incorporated ENERGY STAR awareness and education into sales force training, trade shows and fairs, corporate e-newsletters and educational campaigns. GE's 2009 "Plant a Bulb" Earth Day event resulted in the planting of more than 78,000 bulbs, while significantly increasing awareness of GE ENERGY STAR lighting products.