LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The E.ON U.S. Center, a 22-story office tower in downtown Louisville, Ky., has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Energy Star designation.

The Energy Star designation is granted to commercial office properties that use approximately 35 percent less energy than average buildings, while still providing quality service and comfort to occupants. The E.ON U.S. Center is owned and managed by Harbor Group International, (Harbor Group) a Norfolk, Va.-based real estate investment and management firm with a portfolio worth more than $2 billion.

"The Energy Star program challenges our property managers to operate our buildings more efficiently while still maintaining the highest standard of quality and service to our tenants," said Robert Friedman, President of Harbor Group Management Company. "Today, conservation of our natural resources is on our minds more than ever and we are urging our property teams to aim for Energy Star certification – it makes good business sense and it's the right thing to do."

"Harbor Group is pleased to have received the EPA's Energy Star designation in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts," said Bob Lee, Director of Technical Services for Harbor Group Management Company. "Earning the Energy Star Label distinguishes the property as one of the top 25 percent in the nation in terms of energy performance, and it signifies Harbor Group Management Company's commitment to improving our environment and to conserving energy."

Organizations earn the Energy Star designation by using EPA's national energy performance rating system to generate energy-efficiency ratings for their buildings, on a scale of 1 to 100 relative to similar buildings across the country.

"We believe strongly in what Energy Star represents," Lee said, "The engineering staff worked hard to increase the building's energy efficiency, while providing a high level of service to our tenants."

Vic Staffieri, Chairman, CEO and President of E.ON U.S. added, "As we tell our customers, using energy more efficiently carries direct benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gases and lowering energy costs. We are proud to be the building's anchor tenant and of the building's staff for achieving such an honor, and intend to seek certification for the buildings we own."

The E.ON U.S. Center is the ninth property owned by Harbor Group International to receive Energy Star designation. The property joins The Hurt Building and 34 Peachtree of Atlanta, Ga.; 200 Public Square of Cleveland, Ohio; PNC Center of Cincinnati, Ohio; State House Square of Hartford, Conn.; National City Center of Indianapolis, Ind.; One Enterprise Center of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Dominion Tower of Norfolk, Va.

More than 3,200 buildings have earned the Energy Star designation since 1999. In the U.S., energy loss from commercial buildings represents almost 18 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Star is a government-supported program that helps businesses and consumers protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.

For more information about Energy Star visit www.energystar.gov.


Harbor Group International, LLC is a private real estate investment and management firm which controls a portfolio of worldwide assets valued in excess of $2 billion. The Company's real estate holdings include over 8.0 million square feet of office space and more than 11,000 apartment units. Harbor Group is headquartered in Norfolk, VA with offices in New York, Chicago, London and Tel Aviv. For additional information, please visit www.harborgroupint.com.


E.ON U.S., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor-owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 321,000 natural gas and 394,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 525,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.