NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Aug 31, 2012) - Con Edison volunteers climbed atop the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center this week to spread a second white coating on the 26,000-square-foot roof and boost energy savings.

Check out a video by clicking here: [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIVNCZyRR-Q ]

The theater has been home to the New York City Ballet since 1964.

"The coating of the roof at this wonderful theater is an example of how the corporate community, nonprofits and government agencies can work together to achieve something that benefits everyone," said Frances A. Resheske, Con Edison's senior vice president for Public Affairs. "The theater will cut its energy bills, New Yorkers will enjoy cleaner air and the demand on our electrical delivery system will drop a bit."

White roofs reflect the sun's rays, while traditional black roofs absorb the heat. That means a white roof reduces a building's cooling costs.

Columbia University scientists who performed tests on white and dark roofs at a Con Edison facility in Long Island City, Queens showed that white roofs also contribute to lower urban air temperatures. That's because dark roofs radiate heat back into the atmosphere at night, causing temperatures to rise.

Con Edison, for a third straight year, is a lead supporter of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's program to encourage the creation of "cool roofs." Since the program began in 2010, 3,700 volunteers have created 3 million square feet of white roofing on 378 buildings.

Con Edison has supported a wide variety of performances and programs at Lincoln Center through contributions to the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund for more than four decades.

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE: [ ED ]), one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $40 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit us on the Web at [ www.conEd.com ], at our green site, [ www.coned.com/thepowerofgreen ], or find us on Facebook at Power of Green.

Con Edison supports hundreds of nonprofits in New York City and Westchester County to strengthen neighborhoods, sustain communities and improve lives. These philanthropic efforts support the arts, environment, and important educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Many of Con Edison's 14,000 employees share a personal commitment to the region's vitality through their volunteer efforts and support education by utilizing the company's matching gifts program.