EPA Names Advantage IQ Energy Star
2005 Partner Of The Year

Advantage IQ earns award for protecting the environment through energy efficiency

Spokane, Wash., Feb. 21, 2005 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Advantage IQ, a subsidiary of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA), with the Excellence in Promoting Superior Energy Performance 2005 Award for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Advantage IQ’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 2005.

Advantage IQ, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2004, is being honored for providing services to help businesses adopt smart energy practices and investments throughout their operations. The EPA’s national performance rating system has been used to evaluate almost 21,000 buildings and almost 2000 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR. Advantage IQ assists clients in automating the ENERGY STAR rating process. In 2004, Advantage IQ handled more than 85 percent of all automated building ratings the EPA processed during the year.

According to the EPA, across the U.S., top companies and organizations are discovering the value of strategic energy management through participation in ENERGY STAR. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $10 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 20 million cars.

“At Advantage IQ, we recognize the importance of protecting the environment through sound energy management,” said Stu Stiles, Advantage IQ president & chief executive officer. “As an ENERGY STAR partner, we strive to help other organizations achieve superior energy performance. We have found that participating in the ENERGY STAR program just makes good business sense.”

The ENERGY STAR partnership has added increased value to Advantage IQ’s client base. “Accessing better management tools creates more savings opportunities for our clients,” said Ed Schlect, Advantage IQ vice president, product development. “Our clients already have the most advanced system for managing facility costs. By applying their facility data collected by our service to the ENERGY STAR tools, our clients have an even greater advantage for effectively managing their energy usage.”

The Excellence in Promoting Superior Energy Performance Award recognizes efforts to provide services enabling organizations to successfully integrate energy efficiency into operations. These Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

“As an ENERGY STAR partner Advantage IQ has successfully brought the right tools to the marketplace that help other organizations be as energy efficient as they can,” said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "Through ENERGY STAR, these organizations are leading a nationwide effort to protect our environment through improved energy efficiency.”