1.21.2008 - 03:00pm ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, DC - January 21, 2008 - Ameresco was honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with its prestigious Industry Partner of the Year Award during the 11th Annual Landfill Methane Outreach Program Conference & Project Expo held recently in Washington, D.C.

According to the EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP), the award was presented in recognition of Ameresco's innovative project solutions and the company's contribution to reducing emissions of harmful greenhouse gases.

Ameresco has been named LMOP Industry Partner of the Year twice before, in 2003 and 2004.

Ameresco's project partners, including Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) BMW, Dairyland, Alameda Power & Telecom and the City of Palo Alto, CA have also received recognition for projects developed by Ameresco. Ameresco's Santa Cruz project was recently highlighted in a global warming documentary on the Weather Channel titled "Forecast Earth" which aired on Earth Day 2007. Ameresco received these awards in recognition of its ability to successfully bring projects on-line in a quick and cost-effective manner and in a way that promotes and enhances environmental protections and emissions reductions.

The EPA, in recognizing Ameresco, noted, "Ameresco continues to show leadership by consistently developing innovative and flexible landfill gas energy projects. Thirteen operational projects, including three new projects in 2007, with another nine under construction, demonstrate Ameresco's ability to provide long-term environmental and economic solutions for landfills and the communities they serve."

Ameresco's projects have had a tangible impact on the environment. Ameresco's portfolio includes twenty-two landfill gas projects, which are either in operation or under design/construction. Together, these projects will generate in excess of 110 MWs of renewable energy (or equivalent). These projects also have a significant environmental impact, removing the equivalent of about 610,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year. According to the US EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program, these emission reductions are equivalent to planting in excess of 1.3 million acres of trees and offset the need for almost 25,000 rail cars of coal.

Ameresco believes that landfill gas projects are good for communities, the local economy, and the environment, and contribute to the global welfare of the planet. The key to this success is that Ameresco's passion for protection is evident in every renewable energy project the company develops.

"The Ameresco team has achieved this level of success because of our project partners," said Michael T. Bakas, Ameresco Vice President for Renewable Energy, upon receiving the EPA award. "The collaborative team work with the landfill owners, communities, and energy purchasers enabled us to be innovative, overcome project development barriers, and get the job done. Ameresco is proud to work with such great partners and to be a part of these exciting projects that have a positive, material impact to the environment and the surrounding communities."

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