APOGEE Interactive Clients Claim Four of the Five Top Spots in National Study.

Web Sites Draw Highest Traffic, Offer More Self-Service Options and Deliver Unique Content

ATLANTA -- Four of the five top electric cooperative Web sites cited in a recent Touchstone Energy study share more in common than just best practices and high Web site traffic - each was developed by Apogee Interactive (www.apogee.net), a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry.

Clark County REMC in Indiana, Flint Energies in Georgia, Union Rural Electric in Ohio and Wake Electric in North Carolina drew notably high Web traffic in proportion to their number of online members with 54, 51, 47 and 44 percent respectively, according to the findings of Touchstone Energy's 2007 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference.

Touchstone Energy's Report, "Best Practices: Attracting Web Visitors," covers an in-depth study of electric cooperatives across the nation. It is one article in a knowledgebase series available exclusively to Touchstone Energy members on www.touchstoneenergy.coop for the purpose of improving member satisfaction.

The Best Practices report specifically recognizes the large number of self-service options provided on all four of these top-ranking websites, including: online bill payment, online service requests for connections and disconnections, home energy calculators, periodic contests, surveys, cooperative news items, archives of monthly cooperative magazines and newsletters and a kids section with content and games for children and teachers.

The report also notes how each of the four Web sites possesses a unique look, feel and mix of content. "Our development and creative team always works to design a site that meets the utility's individual needs and the needs of its audiences," explained Susan Gilbert, president and chief executive officer of Apogee.

Founded in 1994, Apogee Interactive (www.apogee.net) is a leading provider of online solutions for the energy industry and the largest provider of Internet-enabled, customer-facing energy analysis tools. More than 400 utilities across the county utilize Web site applications, content modules and custom online solutions from Apogee.

The company's customers span a wide range of energy utilities including American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), Entergy (NYSE: ETR), FPL (NYSE: FPL), Westar Energy (NYSE: WR), CPS Energy, TVA and Jackson EMC. The company also provides eLearning systems, call center programs and demand response platforms to utilities and their trade associations. Apogee is a certified woman-owned business through the National Women's Business Enterprise Council.

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives (www.touchstoneenergy.coop) is a national alliance made of more than 660 local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives across the country.