Willdan Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: WLDN) today announced that it has been awarded a new three-year $35.4 million contract by a leading utility in the western United States to implement its small business direct install (SBDI) and industrial sector energy efficiency program. The program will be delivered to one of the utility’s major service areas and is expected to achieve more than 99,000,000 kWh in electric energy savings over the three-year contract period. The time and material contract has an optional two-year extension.

“Willdan was selected to implement, manage, and continuously improve the program’s performance and delivery. This includes performing a 2016 program redesign to better serve hard-to-reach small business customers. We have the people, the best practices, and the expertise in innovative outreach and enrollment to do exactly that,” explains Tom Brisbin, Willdan’s CEO. The 2016 redesign will geo-target the service area’s communities that have been historically underserved for energy efficiency offerings. “In programs nationwide we efficiently deliver our clients’ savings targets while supporting utility customers and trade allies across broad and diverse regions,” commented Brisbin. “We look forward to providing a beneficial customer experience to both the utility and its customers.”

Willdan’s services include program implementation, project engineering and analysis, and technical/program design. Tasks include, but are not limited to, program and process improvement, tariff compliance and design code and standards management, customer insights and outreach, trade ally management, customer inquiry service, energy project management and installation services, incentive processing, budget management, data management, quality control, and reporting activities.

The industrial sector offer is expected to deliver 48,800,000 kWh of electric energy savings to the service area’s customers in this sector, and will include customized and prescriptive energy audits and analysis.

The SBDI offer is expected to deliver 50,975,000 kWh of electric energy savings to the service area’s small business customers and will provide energy audit services as well as a wide selection of lighting and non-lighting retrofit measures.

About Willdan

Willdan provides professional consulting and technical services to utilities, public agencies and private industry throughout the United States. The Company’s service offerings span a broad set of complementary disciplines that include energy efficiency and sustainability, engineering and planning, financial and economic consulting, and national preparedness. Willdan provides integrated technical solutions to extend the reach and resources of its clients, and provides all services through its subsidiaries specialized in each segment. For additional information, visit Willdan’s website at www.willdan.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical, including statements regarding Willdan’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, estimates, plans or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risk that Willdan will not be able to expand its services or meet the needs of customers in markets in which it operates. It is important to note that Willdan’s actual results could differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, a slowdown in the local and regional economies of the states where Willdan conducts business and the loss of or inability to hire additional qualified professionals. Willdan’s business could be affected by a number of other factors, including the risk factors listed from time to time in Willdan’s SEC reports including, but not limited to, the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended January 1, 2016. Willdan cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Willdan disclaims any obligation to, and does not undertake to, update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release.