Washington Hands ‘Enact’ Program To Illinova Energy State Could Not Afford To Rewrite Software

Ownership of “ENACT” computer software that helped school districts around the Northwest use energy more efficiently has been transferred from the Washington State University Cooperative Extension Energy Programs to Illinova Energy Partners.

Michael McSorley, the program’s software team leader, said the state did not want to compete with private providers of similar products, which did not exist when ENACT was written by the Washington State Energy Office in the mid-1980s.

Also, he said, the state couldn’t afford to rewrite the DOS-based program in a Windows format.

Illinova, a utility and energy services company based in Oak Brook, Ill., will assume responsibility for supporting ENACT, McSorley added.

He said development and support of the program had cost the state about $250,000 over the years. The money was taken from an oil overcharge fund created in the early 1980s, he said.

ENACT was free to Washington state school districts. Districts in other states were charged, McSorley said.

There were about 1,000 users.

Illinova spokesman Jim Buck said the company will support ENACT for 18 months. During that time, the districts will be offered a similar, Windows-based program for $250, he said. Normal price is $1,200.

, DataTimes