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VANCOUVER – It's a tight race for 66 local B.C. governments competing to win BC Hydro's "Turn It Off Challenge" with four weeks left to go.

"Municipalities are demonstrating conservation leadership with the creative and innovative ways they are finding to promote energy savings," said Lisa Coltart, BC Hydro's Director of Power Smart. "Local governments are doing excellent work in raising awareness that there is a need to conserve electricity in British Columbia."

As of July 31, the communities leading in points in the "Turn It Off Challenge" are:

Small Municipalities (less than 4,000 residents)

• 1 ^st Place – Village of Tahsis
• 2 ^nd Place – Village of Burns Lake
• 3 ^rd Place – District of Hudson's Hope

Medium Towns (4,000 to 14,000 residents)

• 1 ^st Place – City of Williams Lake
• 2 ^nd Place – Town of Qualicum Beach
• 3 ^rd Place – Cariboo Regional District

Medium Cities (15,000 to 50,000 residents)

• 1 ^st Place – District of West Vancouver
• 2 ^nd Place – City of Pitt Meadows
• 3 ^rd Place – City of Vernon

Large Cities and Districts (more than 51,000 residents)

• 1 ^st Place – City of New Westminster
• 2 ^nd Place – City of Abbotsford
• 3 ^rd Place – District of Saanich

The Turn It Off Challenge is a first of its kind campaign aimed at employees to create awareness and behavioral changes that lead to reductions in energy consumption. By engaging employees in activities such as developing a conservation logo or message, creating an energy saving mascot or adjusting building controls to reduce electricity use, local governments earn points. Those with the most points at the end of the Challenge win a Power Smart makeover on a local building.

Some of the conservation ideas have included:

• The City of Williams Lake incorporated energy conservation program into summer camps run by the City's Recreational Services.
• The Town of Port McNeill has turned off all their building heating until late September or October and have also turned off all non-essential lighting every night.
• The City of New Westminster created "Inspector Watts" and "Captain Lightning Rod" as mascots to promote conservation activities at City Council Meetings and other events.
• Burns Lake, Chetwynd, Hudson's Hope and Port McNeill have created "Turn It Off" parade floats.

The B.C. Energy Plan has set a target of acquiring 50 per cent of BC Hydro's future electricity needs through conservation by 2020 and the goal of becoming electricity self sufficient by 2016. Through initiatives such as the Turn It Off Challenge, local B.C. governments will be contributing to that goal and helping BC Hydro ensure there will be reliable power, at low cost, for generations.

Winners for the Turn It Off Challenge will be announced at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention in Vancouver in September.