The Wendy's Company Announces Partnership with EPA's ENERGY STAR® Program

DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) announced that it has joined EPA's ENERGY STAR program as an ENERGY STAR partner. Wendy's^®, through its voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Program, will work to improve energy efficiency through a strategic, corporate energy management program that will enhance the company's energy strategy.

"Wendy's is pleased to become an ENERGY STAR partner," said Abigail Pringle, Chief Development Officer for The Wendy's Company. "Through this partnership, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship and lowering our energy use by improving the energy efficiency of our restaurants."  

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, Wendy's will:

• Measure and track the energy performance of its facilities, where possible, by using tools offered through ENERGY STAR;
• Develop and implement a plan consistent with the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings;
• Communicate the importance of energy efficiency to the Wendy's system;
• Support the Better Buildings Challenge, a national program to help improve the energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings by 20 percent or more.

"Wendy's has already shown the financial and environmental benefits that can be achieved when a company commits to reducing its energy use," said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. "We're thrilled to partner with them now as they deepen their commitment and work to improve energy performance across their entire portfolio of restaurants."

Earlier this year, Wendy's joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge and made a commitment to reduce energy consumption in U.S. company-owned restaurants by 20 percent per transaction by 2025. Wendy's is also the first restaurant company to include franchisees in the Better Buildings Challenge. To date, 14 franchisees are participating in this program.

Wendy's has accelerated progress in reducing energy use by implementing more than 1,100 individual energy upgrade projects at more than 550 restaurants. These projects include the installation of LED lights in the interior and exterior, upgrading HVAC systems and installing more efficient motors in walk in coolers. These actions have saved more than 13 million kilowatt hours (kWh) which, for comparison, translates into the amount of electricity to power nearly 1,200 average U.S. homes for a year.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Since 1992, American families and businesses have saved a total of nearly $362 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.

For more information about the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings:  www.energystar.gov/buildings

About The Wendy's Company
The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world's third largest quick-service hamburger restaurant chain. The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.aboutwendys.com.

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