ACC basketball fans can save energy and money and qualify to win tournament tickets

RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 22, 2008) -- Progress Energy is promoting energy efficiency during the Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season. As an official corporate partner of the ACC, Progress Energy is providing fans a chance to win two ACC Men's Basketball Tournament tickets while saving energy and money. Fans can take the Progress Energy CFL Challenge by visiting www.savethewatts.com.

By signing Progress Energy's CFL Challenge, fans are committing to replace incandescent bulbs in up to five light fixtures in their homes with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Not only do these bulbs save energy, they can also save money. Just one CFL bulb can save more than $30 in energy costs over its lifetime.

The Progress Energy CFL Challenge begins at 8 a.m. Jan. 23 and lasts through Feb. 23. Winners will be notified by phone on or about Feb. 26 and will have 48 hours to claim their tickets. The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament will be held March 13 - 16, 2008, in Charlotte.

Fans who cannot take the challenge online can participate by sending a 3.5 x 5-inch postcard with their name, address, city, state, and ZIP code and their day and evening telephone numbers with area codes to "ACC Progress Energy Challenge" Sweepstakes, 1878 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14610 by Feb. 19. Please see official rules on www.savethewatts.com for more information.

Energy efficiency is a critical part of Progress Energy's balanced solution to providing clean, reliable and affordable energy for the future. The balance also includes investments in renewable energy and state-of-the-art power plants. For more energy- and money-saving tips, visit www.savethewatts.com.

Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $10 billion in annual revenues. The company includes two major utilities that serve more than 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence. The company also is the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. Progress Energy serves two fast-growing areas of the country, and the company is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at www.progress-energy.com.

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