Green Mountain Power Reduces Emissions with Hybrid Cars

    COLCHESTER, Vt.--May 7, 2003--Green Mountain Power Corporation has embraced a new technology that benefits the environment with its purchase of three hybrid vehicles. The vehicles combine a gas engine and electric motor to produce the optimum mix to power the car.
    "We know that emissions from cars are a significant contribution to air pollution, and consistent with our overall environmental ethic, we wanted to make a difference where we could. Using three hybrid vehicles reduces emissions and helps us evaluate the potential for more uses of this technology in the future," said Mary Powell, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Green Mountain Power.
    Three Green Mountain Power employees, a meter reader, a power production worker and a flagger/underground utilities locator now each use a Toyota Prius to drive to various locations around the state. The vehicles use a regenerative braking system that captures wasted energy while decelerating, and they never need to be plugged in for recharging.
    "We chose these three workers to test the capabilities of the hybrids because these employees do a lot of driving during the day. They also tend to have many short stops, and since the gas engine shuts off instead of idling at a stop, the opportunity to reduce emissions should be greater," Ms. Powell added.
    Although the cost of the hybrid cars is somewhat higher than similar models, they are more fuel efficient, and so should cost less to operate.
    Green Mountain Power Corporation (greenmountainpower.biz) is a Vermont-based energy services company serving 88,000 electric customers.

    For further information, please contact Dorothy Schnure, Manager of Corporate Communications, at 802-655-8418.