First BetterBricks Award Coming to Montana on February 26
Butte, Mont. – February 20, 2009 – The state of Montana has embraced the green building movement and next week will honor champions who are leading the way by hosting the first ever Montana BetterBricks Awards. In a joint venture with NorthWestern Energy and the Montana Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) the event is taking place on Thursday, February 26, 2009, at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena, Mont., in conjunction with the Montana Ambassadors Annual Conference.
The BetterBricks Awards salute individuals pioneering high performance commercial buildings with an emphasis on energy efficiency in the Northwest. The first annual Montana BetterBricks Awards celebrate the people behind the best commercial projects in the state, such as architects, engineers, building owners and developers and other building professionals. The result: a greater number of buildings that offer improved energy efficiency, bottom line benefits and a reduced carbon footprint.
The BetterBricks Awards also take place in three other Northwest cities: Portland, Seattle, and Boise. NorthWestern Energy and other Montana utilities encouraged BetterBricks to create a program for the Montana audience and helped facilitate the first annual Montana Awards.
“BetterBricks awards are prestigious elsewhere. We want to showcase the great work being in Montana as well,” said Bob Rowe, President and CEO of NorthWestern Energy. “The energy saving work in Montana is very impressive and we are eager to honor our own leaders in energy efficient building practices.”
BetterBricks is partnering with the Montana Ambassadors in order to reach business professionals from all corners of the state. This year’s BetterBricks winners will be announced at the opening dinner of the Ambassadors conference taking place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2009. This year’s keynote speaker is T. Boone Pickens, the oil and gas entrepreneur, who will speak about his plan to reinvest in America and renewable energy.
Judges for the first Montana BetterBricks Awards included Rick Edwards, NorthWestern Energy; John Jennings, BetterBricks; Tom Wood, Bozeman Integrated Design Lab; Ken Sugen, Flathead Electric; Dave Bausch, NorthWestern Energy; Ken Phillips, Montana DEQ.
The conference is open to the public. Interested participants can register to attend at www.montanaambassadors.com.
About NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy is one of the largest providers of electricity and natural gas in the Upper Midwest and Northwest, serving approximately 650,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. For more information about NorthWestern Energy, visit our Web site at www.northwesternenergy.com.
About the Montana Ambassadors
The Montana Ambassadors is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization of leaders in business, education, and the professions with a common dedication to living and doing business in Montana and furthering the best interests of the state, serving at the pleasure of the Governor. For more information, visit www.montanaambassadors.com.
About the Montana Electric Cooperative Association (MECA)
MECA is a not-for-profit, statewide trade association representing 26 consumer-owned electric distribution cooperatives and three generation and transmission cooperatives serving more than 250,000 people across Montana and in the Dakotas, Wyoming and Idaho. The cooperatives' service areas cover all 56 Montana counties. Each cooperative is customer-owned, locally controlled and not-for-profit. MECA is headquartered in Great Falls, Montana along the banks of the Missouri River. For more information, visit www.mtco-ops.com.
About BetterBricks
BetterBricks is the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), which is supported by local electric utilities, including NorthWestern Energy and Montana electric cooperatives served by the Bonneville Power Administration. Through the BetterBricks initiative, NEEA advocates for changes to energy-related business practices in Northwest buildings. In this era of heightened appreciation for the impact climate change is having on our environment and our economy, energy efficiency is a crucial component in addressing global warming. On www.BetterBricks.com, find information, tools, training and resources to help buildings make a difference to the bottom line and the environment.
Media Contact:
Claudia Rapkoch
(866) 622-8081
claudia.rapkoch@northwestern.com