SPOKANE, Wash., May 12, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --Kentucky-based United Foodservice Purchasing Co-Op, LLC (UFPC) has selected Avista (NYSE: AVA) as its 2009 Utility Company of the Year. Avista was selected from more than 600 utility companies across the country with which UFPC and its owner-operators do business.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091223/AVISTALOGO)

UFPC is the exclusive supply chain management company for Yum! Brands, Inc., the world's largest restaurant company whose chains include A&W, KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Yum! Brands, Inc. operates over 37,000 restaurants in over 110 countries worldwide.

"We are pleased to award Avista with our 2009 Utility Company of the Year," said Marcus Fister, Director, National Energy, Unified Foodservice Purchasing Co-Op. "The award recognizes the great work, time, integrity, effort and dedication that Avista exhibits, specifically for our organization. Avista has provided a tremendous value to UFPC and their efforts do not go un-noticed."

Avista works with UFPC and its members on projects that will reduce energy consumption at their restaurant facilities. Northwest Restaurants, one of Yum! Brands franchises which owns eight KFCs in the Spokane area, worked with Avista to receive energy efficiency incentives when they installed new ovens for a new food product.

Through Avista's energy efficiency rebate and incentive programs, CLC Restaurants, another Yum! Brand franchise which owns 17 Taco Bell Restaurants in Avista's service area, implemented 24 projects, saving enough energy to power 38 homes for one year and enough natural gas to serve about four homes. Craig Langel, owner of CLC Restaurants said, "It has been a pleasure working with UFPC and Avista on these projects. Congratulations on the well-deserved award."

"Helping customers reduce their energy use and bills is very important to us at Avista. We are honored to be selected by UFPC as their 2009 Energy Company of the Year," said Bruce Folsom, Avista's energy efficiency director. "We look forward to continuing our work with UFPC."

Avista offers a variety of energy efficiency rebates, incentives and other energy management tools for residential, commercial and industrial customers. For information on the programs and other energy saving information, visit www.everylittlebit.com. Avista has offered energy efficiency programs to customers for over 30 years.

Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating division that provides electric service to 356,000 customers and natural gas to 316,000 customers. Our service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.5 million. Avista's primary, non-regulated subsidiary is Advantage IQ. Our stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com.

Avista Corp. and the Avista Corp. logo are trademarks of Avista Corporation.

SOURCE Avista Corp.