WASHINGTON Motor Coach Industries is helping sponsor another cross-country energy awareness program as part of its ongoing marketing campaign to promote motorcoaches as an energy efficient way to travel

The 2007 ENERGY STAR Change a Light Bus Tour, a program organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will promote energy efficiency among students, teachers, community leaders and ordinary citizens.

The bus tour kicks off Oct. 3, ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day, and travels coast to coast, stopping for events in 10 major cities during the 20-day trip.

The goal is to educate the public about the importance of choosing Energy Star-qualified lighting as a first step toward energy efficiency, and encourage individuals to commit to change at least one light in their homes to an Energy Star-qualified light.

Program participants will ride in an MCI J4500 LX motorcoach equipped with a 2007 clean-diesel Caterpillar engine fueled with a 20-percent biodiesel, 80-percent ultra-low-sulfur diesel blend.

The same coach was used earlier this summer for the Udall Legacy Tour, which took 13 young environmental scholars on a 54-day, cross-country eco-journey, covering 8,606 miles.

That tour highlighted innovative environmental activities in 26 cities, plus 6 national parks and 6 Native American communities. It concluded last month in Tucson, Ariz.

"We not only want to win over the environmentally conscientious, we want people to know how luxurious it can be traveling by motorcoach," said Patricia Ziska, MCI vice president and chief customer officer.

The dozens of people visiting the MCI coach and its education center during the tours will see or experience the comfort thats possible while traveling in an upscale coach.

"Passengers can sit back and relax, work on their computers, watch the news or whatever, and they're in a much more comfortable environment than their car," said Ziska.