JCPenney Earns Award for Protecting the Environment Through Energy Efficiency

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2007--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named J. C. Penney Company, Inc., (NYSE:JCP) as the 2007 ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year for outstanding energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. JCPenney's accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 21.

JCPenney, an ENERGY STAR partner since July 2005, will be honored for smart energy management practices and investments throughout its operations that resulted in significant energy and financial savings.

The Company's Energy Management team implemented numerous energy conservation projects and developed programs to engage associates across JCPenney's 1,000-plus stores in finding and sharing ways to reduce energy use, and leveraged the best ideas company-wide. As a result, JCPenney was able to reduce total energy consumption despite increases in both store operating hours and gross building area in 2006.

The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Awards recognize efforts to use energy efficiently in facility operations and to integrate superior energy management into overall organizational strategy. The Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

"JCPenney's goal is to be a leader in performance and execution within the retail industry. With more than 100 million square feet of space in our stores, aggressive energy management plays a vital role in moving us toward this goal," said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, JCPenney chairman and chief executive officer. "We are proud to be selected as the Retail Partner of the Year. The award recognizes the engagement of our 155,000 associates, who are making smart choices about energy use every day. We continually stress that for a company of our size, even small improvements can add up to significant economic and environmental benefits."

"The success of JCPenney in proactively managing energy use is a model for businesses across the country," said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "Because buildings contribute about 20 percent of our national greenhouse gas emissions, effective energy management helps the bottom line and protects our environment."

About JCPenney

J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc., the wholly owned operating subsidiary of J. C. Penney Company, Inc., is one of America's largest department store, catalog, and e-commerce retailers, employing approximately 155,000 associates. As of Feb. 3, 2007, J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. operated 1,033 JCPenney department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. JCPenney is the nation's largest catalog merchant of general merchandise, and jcp.com is one of the largest apparel and home furnishings sites on the Internet. JCPenney refers to the Internet/catalog business as Direct.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 9,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

SOURCE:
J. C. Penney Company, Inc.