Lake Erie Electric, Inc. Launches Renewable Energy Solutions

LEE is paving the way for a cleaner, more energy efficient future through
solar and wind power projects in Ohio and Michigan

CLEVELAND, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Lake Erie Electric (LEE), Inc. is leading
the charge in Ohio to provide clean, renewable energy to businesses, industry,
municipalities, government and homeowners throughout Ohio and Michigan. With
the launch of Renewable Energy Solutions, LEE is offering turnkey solar and
wind power systems to provide customers an alternative to conventional
electricity, saving natural resources and money.

"Renewable energy is no longer something we talk about for the future,"
Renewable Energy Solutions Manager Tom Whitby said. "More and more of our
customers are choosing to generate electricity for their homes and businesses
by using clean and cost efficient energy sources like solar and wind as
opposed to conventional methods which deplete our natural resources and
pollute the environment."

Federal, state and local governments across the country have adopted renewable
portfolio standards, enacted mandates for renewable energy use and are
offering consumers incentives to use more clean energy sources. Ohio
lawmakers have aggressive standards for renewable energy that require 12.5
percent of Ohio's electricity to come from renewable sources and a 22 percent
cumulative reduction in energy usage by 2025. Michigan lawmakers have
mandated that by 2015, 10 percent of electrical retail sales be from renewable
energy sources. More than half of the states in the U.S. have adopted similar
standards and are making incentives available for compliance.

"A commitment to renewable energy today is an investment in our future," said
Carl W. Scheutzow, Mariner Energy Systems, LLC., a solar power consulting,
design and installation agency working in partnership with LEE. "With the
number of federal and state incentives available to individuals and
businesses, now is the time to make that investment. Customers could realize
a $0 electric bill and keep thousands of pounds of dangerous greenhouse gasses
from entering the environment."

The environmental benefits of renewable energy solutions include:
-- Decreased depletion of natural resources and fossil fuels.
-- Solar arrays and wind turbines are emission free, keeping harmful
gasses
produced by fossil fuels out of the air.
-- Renewable energy sources do not use water, conserving another natural
resource.
-- Reduced dependency on foreign oil, strengthening our economy.

-- Solar and wind resources are safe, indefinitely renewable and free.

In addition to the environmental benefits, there are several grants and tax
benefits available to help individuals and businesses make the investment more
cost effective. Through 2016, the federal government is offering a 30 percent
tax credit for the cost of a solar or wind power system. In addition, the
Ohio Energy Office has a grant available for solar installations that pays
$3.00 per Watt up to $25,000 for residential systems and $3.50 per Watt up to
$150,000 for commercial installations. Ohio grants available for residential
wind power installations include the lesser of $2.00 per annual kwh generated
(first year production) or 50 percent of the project cost, up to $25,000. For
commercial installations the grant is the lesser of $2.00 per annual kwh
generated (first year production) or 40 percent of the project cost, up to
$200,000.

Lake Eric Electric's Renewable Energy Solutions took advantage of the
incentives and completed their first commercial installation at their
headquarters in Westlake. The 3 kW solar array was commissioned in April 2009
and is the first solar installation in the City of Westlake. To date, the
project has made a measurable impact, saving the environment from more than
4,000 lbs of carbon dioxide, 17 lbs of nitrous oxide and 45 lbs of sulfur
dioxide. These are greenhouse gases that would have been released into the
atmosphere by conventional electricity generating the same amount of power.

"Using renewable energy is a great way to make a real impact, and so far this
installation has produced enough electricity to power 67 homes for a day,"
Whitby added.

Other completed or pending projects throughout Ohio include projects in
Sheffield Lake, Toledo, Summit County, Guernsey County, Walton Hills, and a
number of Cleveland suburbs.

SOURCE Lake Erie Electric, Inc.

Chris Herbert, +1-217-421-7580, cherbert@dccmarketing.com, for Lake Erie
Electric, Inc.