GE Press Release:

Pennsylvania Town Finds $40,000 Savings and Cash Flow Positive Financing in GE LED Street Lighting Solution

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December 13, 2012

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — December 13, 2012 — (NYSE:GE) — The Borough of Tarentum, a small town of approximately 4,500 nestled along the Allegheny River in Western Pennsylvania, is converting 100 percent of its street lighting to GE’s new Evolve™ LED Scalable Cobrahead fixtures with dimmable photocells. The switch will save Tarentum approximately 66 percent in annual lighting energy and maintenance expense, equaling about $40,000 based on a $.10 kWh rate and 4,000 hours of operation a year. And, with financing from GE Capital, the borough has been provided a lease-to-own solution that requires no out-of-pocket funds and results in an annual positive cash flow.

Tarentum city officials explored a number of options for saving on energy costs, ultimately engaging GE Lighting in a discussion about its ecomagination℠ LED technology. GE conducted an audit of Tarentum’s high-pressure sodium-vapor roadway lighting comprised of 310 100-watt fixtures and 120 250-watt fixtures, then estimated total wattage usage and utility billing.

The analysis showed Tarentum’s old street lighting consumed 335,771 kilowatt hours (kWhs) of electricity per year, opposed to an estimated 112,517 kWhs to power GE’s Evolve LED Roadway fixtures for one year. The LED lights, with a 50,000 hour-rated life, would also alleviate the city’s maintenance costs. Tarentum was receiving frequent calls to respond to streetlight outages with resulting labor costs totaling $20,000 a year.

Taking these circumstances into account, GE Capital facilitated a lease-to-own financing strategy that applies the town’s monthly street lighting savings of $3,200 toward its LED lighting purchase. As a result, Tarentum Borough was able to achieve cash flow positive status from day one of the project.

“This program has a big impact on us, because we pay ourselves,” says Bill Rossey, borough manager. “Tarentum owns all of its streetlights, the power to run them and the maintenance for upkeep. So anything we can do to save money is a definite plus for us. That’s what made this partnership with GE so attractive. It’s a no-brainer.”

Tarentum retrofit 430 streetlights with dimmable and programmable Evolve LED fixtures. The dimming capability of GE’s Monitor™ Stand-Alone Controllers allows Tarentum to dim the lights to a prefixed percentage. The borough plans to dim the streetlights to a 30-percent reduction in light output from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m.

“What really impresses us about GE’s lighting fixtures is that there’s a noticeable difference in how clean the light looks,” says Tim Rapp, city council president. “When city council was presented the proposal to vote on, there was no argument against the upgrade. It absolutely was the right thing to do.”

The fixtures will add a new sense of security, Rossey said, especially for local businesses and the police department, noting the light will more evenly illuminate streets.

“It’s a win-win situation,” says Tarentum Mayor Carl Magnetta, Jr. “It’s not going to cost our citizens any more money, we’re getting beautiful light and we’re dealing with a reputable company that has been around for more than a hundred years. GE made this decision very easy for us.”

Start to finish, the decision was reached in four months after Tarentum learned of GE’s technology and financing program, says Austin Ashe, GE territory manager. “Tarentum was able to look into the program, ask questions and review the details quickly, which is significant because in this case, the city was able to align this program with their budget and maintenance cycle.”

Mayor Magnetta adds, “Tarentum Borough is leading Allegheny County and the state of Pennsylvania. We saw the light, and we’re very proud of our city.”

For more information about LED street lighting solutions from GE, visit www.gelightingsolutions.com. To learn more about GE’s commitment to innovative solutions to today’s environmental challenges while driving economic growth, visit www.ecomagination.com.

About Tarentum BoroughFounded in 1829, Tarentum is located in Allegheny County, northeast of Pittsburgh, Pa. With a population of 4,500, Tarentum is historically regarded as an industrial center with connections to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Transportation was the key to the town's development – first by canal, then the Pennsylvania Railroad, and at present by the Allegheny Valley Expressway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information, visitwww.tarentumboro.com.

About GE LightingGE Lighting invents with the vigor of its founder Thomas Edison to develop energy-efficient solutions that change the way people light their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. The business employs about 15,000 people in more than 100 countries, and sells products under the Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Evolve™, GTx™, Immersion™, Infusion™, Lumination® and Tetra® commercial brands, all trademarks of GE. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.

50 Years of LED InnovationOct. 9, 1962, GE scientist Dr. Nick Holonyak, Jr., invented the first practical visible-spectrum light-emitting diode (LED). In the 50 years since, GE has been on the forefront of LED innovation. The company has released inspired LED products for both residential and commercial settings, from the first ENERGY STAR®-qualified A19-shaped LED bulb to LED street lighting that illuminates cityscapes the world over.