Prepare to power down this Friday, Kingston. Ontario's Count Me In! Conservation Challenge Day is on Friday, Aug. 14. That's the anniversary of the North American blackout of 2003. This Friday, energy-conserving Kingstonians can help the city compete with other Ontario municipalities to achieve:

• The highest percentage drop in the consumption of electricity; and
• The highest per capita participation in the Count Me In! pledge drive.

"Our residents understand the connection between energy-use and air quality and climate change. Kingston can win this challenge. We are aiming to be Canada's most sustainable city and this is a golden opportunity to demonstrate the will of our community to conserve energy," says Jim Keech, President and C.E.O. of Utilities Kingston. To participate, reduce your energy consumption as much as possible between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Aug. 14 and sign a personal conservation plan before that date at www.countmeinontario.ca — or go to www.utilitieskingston.ca and click on the Count Me In! icon. All Ontarians who take the Count Me In! pledge will also have the chance to win one of three grand prizes and eligible for daily prizes from now until Aug. 14. Results of the province-wide Challenge Day will be announced at the AMO Annual Conference on Aug. 19 in Ottawa. The Count Me In! Community Challenge was issued to municipal leaders across the province on June 3 by Woodstock Mayor Michael Harding. The City of Woodstock has played a leadership role among Ontario municipalities over the past few years encouraging energy conservation with its Aug. 14 Blackout Day initiative. This year, Woodstock has been joined by the Ontario Power Authority, the Independent Electricity System Operator, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Electricity Distributors Association to create the Count Me In! Community Challenge Day.