AET provides power management and applications services to commercial, industrial and utility clients.

SMITHFIELD, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 1997--Under the proposed Schaefer Bill, now pending in Congress, states had only until Jan. 31, 1997, to develop their own legislation for deregulation of utilities. If and when the Schaefer Bill is passed, states who did not meet the January deadline will be subject to federal regulations.

The deregulation of the utility industry, coupled with new technological developments, provides businesses with the tools necessary to move their energy expenditures from a "fixed" to a "variable" cost. Companies aggressively employing energy systems and services today are the ones who will be prepared for a deregulated market.

Atlantic Energy Technologies, Inc. (AET), is one of the first of its kind in the emerging "energy services" market. Such companies provide power management and applications services to commercial, industrial and utility clients.

"The people at AET can cut power bills for our customers today by as much as 35 percent. At the same time, we can position companies for even greater savings in the forthcoming deregulated utility environment," said AET President Barry Hales.

Power quality monitoring, instantaneous notification of breaches in customer-defined tolerances, and detailed reports are just a few of the information services available to AET clients. AET's power quality services minimize downtime, reduce maintenance, ensure equipment longevity and minimize production losses.

Founded in 1995 as the natural outgrowth of a 25-year-old utility supply company, AET has assembled a professional staff with more than a 150 years of combined electric utility experience. This professional staff monitors, measures and shapes the use of energy, enabling each customer's monthly energy bill to become a variable cost.

AET is not a traditional energy management company; rather, AET focuses on true cost-reduction, which is not always the result of energy efficiency. Intelligent monitoring of the energy procurement process on a real-time bases allows AET to reduce customers' costs without operational interference.

"We provide a problem-solving package of what is known as our Ener-COMM(SM) system and services," Hales said. "By utilizing our hardware, software and engineering applications, we enable our customers to not only manage energy but also to manage energy costs. The payback on our services is as short as 8 to 16 months for most customers."

Once the industry is deregulated, AET customers will have experienced a considerable return on their investment and will have gained the valuable experience of true energy control and information management, according to Hales. "By entering a deregulated market from a position of strength, companies compound their opportunities for additional savings."

CONTACT: Atlantic Energy Technologies, Inc.

Chrissy Swertfeger, 919/989-4000