July 2, 2001

SOUDER, LOCAL OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT WATER+ PROCESS TO LOWER ENERGY COSTS, PROTECT ENVIRONMENT

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: ANGELA FLOOD
JULY 2, 2001 (219) 424-3041

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) was joined today by Mayor Graham Richard, State Senator David Long, and WaterFurnace International (WFI) President and CEO Bruce Ritchey at a news conference to highlight new technology marketed by WFI that would lower energy costs and reduce harmful emissions in the environment.
Souder has been active in congressional efforts to expand the use of alternative energy sources in an attempt to reduce American dependence on foreign oil. Due in part to a bi-partisan letter co-signed by Souder and other Members of Congress to the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, the 2002 spending bill for Energy and Water programs includes $13 million more than the President's budget request for geothermal technology development.

Hardin Geotechnologies and WaterFurnace International has formed a partnership to market a geothermal technology called water+, which uses recycled municipal water in an innovative heating and cooling process. WFI estimates that if 10% of the new buildings in the U.S. installed water+, two million metric tons of carbon emissions - or greenhouse gases - would be eliminated in the first year. In addition, after twenty years we could meet the emissions reductions called for by the Kyoto Protocol at no cost to the economy. Currently, the U.S. cannot comply with the Kyoto Protocol without causing severe economic hardship, particularly in heavy manufacturing areas like Northeast Indiana.

"The key underlying threat to our economic growth is the lack of assurance of low-cost energy," said Souder. "WaterFurnace's technology holds great promise for reducing that threat in a way that helps protect the environment. It's exciting to have a Fort Wayne company on the cutting edge of addressing one of our country's most pressing problems."

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