ATO Atmos Energy Corp

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) has been honored with two awards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. �Every year, Atmos Energy employees work hard to replace miles of aging pipe that carry natural gas to our customers,� said Stuart Schulz, Atmos Energy environmental specialist. �Replacement programs improve the safety and reliability of our distribution system while protecting the environment by reducing or eliminating methane emissions.� At the 13th Annual Natural Gas STAR Implementation Workshop recently, Atmos Energy was selected as the natural gas distribution company Partner of the Year in the EPA�s 2006 Natural Gas STAR Program. Annually the EPA chooses a partner of the year from each of the four natural gas industry sectors: production; gathering and processing; transmission and storage, and distribution. Atmos Energy also received a Continuing Excellence award from the EPA for five years of continual improvement in the STAR Program. The STAR program is a voluntary partnership between the EPA and the natural gas industry to encourage voluntary reductions in the emissions of methane. Atmos Energy joined the Natural Gas STAR program in 1999. �For five consecutive years Atmos Energy has significantly reduced emissions,� Schulz said. �In 2005, Atmos Energy reported the highest overall reductions and third highest normalized reductions for distribution partners. Atmos Energy also has the third highest cumulative reductions of all distribution partners.� Since 1999, Atmos Energy has achieved cumulative emission reductions of 3.1 million cubic feet (MMcf) of natural gas. The company�s emission reductions are approximately equal to: Planting 347,000 acres of trees in one year, or Enough natural gas to heat 45,000 homes for one year or Removing 231,000 cars from the road for one year. �I am very pleased with this recognition from the EPA and congratulate our employees who have made these awards possible,� said Robert W. Best, Atmos Energy chairman, president and chief executive officer. �Protecting and preserving the environment is an important part of our values and culture. As an emissions reduction leader in the STAR Program, Atmos Energy sends a clear message that we are committed to protecting the environment.� About Atmos Energy Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country�s largest natural gas-only distributor, serving about 3.2 million gas utility customers. Atmos Energy�s utility operations serve more than 1,500 communities in 12 states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy�s nonutility operations, organized under Atmos Energy Holdings, Inc., operate in 22 states. They provide natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers and manage company-owned natural gas storage and pipeline assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipelines in Texas. Atmos Energy is a Fortune 500 company. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com. Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO) has been honored with two awards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "Every year, Atmos Energy employees work hard to replace miles of aging pipe that carry natural gas to our customers," said Stuart Schulz, Atmos Energy environmental specialist. "Replacement programs improve the safety and reliability of our distribution system while protecting the environment by reducing or eliminating methane emissions." At the 13th Annual Natural Gas STAR Implementation Workshop recently, Atmos Energy was selected as the natural gas distribution company Partner of the Year in the EPA's 2006 Natural Gas STAR Program. Annually the EPA chooses a partner of the year from each of the four natural gas industry sectors: production; gathering and processing; transmission and storage, and distribution. Atmos Energy also received a Continuing Excellence award from the EPA for five years of continual improvement in the STAR Program. The STAR program is a voluntary partnership between the EPA and the natural gas industry to encourage voluntary reductions in the emissions of methane. Atmos Energy joined the Natural Gas STAR program in 1999. "For five consecutive years Atmos Energy has significantly reduced emissions," Schulz said. "In 2005, Atmos Energy reported the highest overall reductions and third highest normalized reductions for distribution partners. Atmos Energy also has the third highest cumulative reductions of all distribution partners." Since 1999, Atmos Energy has achieved cumulative emission reductions of 3.1 million cubic feet (MMcf) of natural gas. The company's emission reductions are approximately equal to: -- Planting 347,000 acres of trees in one year, or -- Enough natural gas to heat 45,000 homes for one year or -- Removing 231,000 cars from the road for one year. "I am very pleased with this recognition from the EPA and congratulate our employees who have made these awards possible," said Robert W. Best, Atmos Energy chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Protecting and preserving the environment is an important part of our values and culture. As an emissions reduction leader in the STAR Program, Atmos Energy sends a clear message that we are committed to protecting the environment." About Atmos Energy Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country's largest natural gas-only distributor, serving about 3.2 million gas utility customers. Atmos Energy's utility operations serve more than 1,500 communities in 12 states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy's nonutility operations, organized under Atmos Energy Holdings, Inc., operate in 22 states. They provide natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers and manage company-owned natural gas storage and pipeline assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipelines in Texas. Atmos Energy is a Fortune 500 company. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com.