Someone needs to get an original idea!

And boy, does this look general.  As we all know, the devil is in the details.  Keep me posted as things start to materialize on the structure.

You know, you are the scoopmeister.

Laura

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Penman, Gregg  
Sent:	Monday, January 14, 2002 10:29 AM
To:	Luce, Laura
Subject:	COPYCATS


Monday January 14, 11:11 am Eastern Time 
Press Release
SOURCE: NiSource Inc. 
Aquila and NiSource Form Alliance
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aquila subsidiary of UtiliCorp United (NYSE: UCU <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ucu&d=t> - news <http://biz.yahoo.com/n/u/ucu.html>) and NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ni&d=t> - news <http://biz.yahoo.com/n/n/ni.html>) today announced the formation of a unique alliance under which the two companies will seek to capitalize on market opportunities and deliver comprehensive energy solutions by leveraging the capabilities and knowledge of the two companies. The details of the alliance are being developed and will be provided as they are available. 
``The NiSource-Aquila alliance will be a powerful partnership to address the dynamic requirements of the energy marketplace,'' said Robert K Green, Aquila's chief executive officer. 
``It will bring together a world-class owner and operator of energy assets with a world-class risk merchant, enabling both companies to optimize NiSource's assets and manage risk for the benefit of shareholders and customers alike.'' 
Commenting on the alliance, Gary L. Neale, chairman, president and chief executive officer of NiSource said: ``This alliance will allow the two companies to focus on their individual core businesses and combine their complementary expertise to leverage the value of NiSource's uniquely positioned asset base and Aquila's extensive merchant capabilities to create greater value, with less associated risk, than either company could achieve on its own.'' 
NiSource's operations are focused in the high-demand energy corridor that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to New England. This region represents 30 percent of the nation's population and accounts for 40 percent of the nation's energy consumption. 
NiSource is the third-largest natural gas distributor in North America, the second-largest holder of gas storage and the largest gas producer in the Appalachian basin. The company also owns and operates 16,500 of interstate pipeline and electric generation assets in northern Indiana. 
Based in Kansas City, Aquila is a leading wholesaler of natural gas and power in North America and a provider of risk management services. Aquila also provides wholesale energy and risk manager services in the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia. Kansas City-based UtiliCorp United (NYSE: UCU <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ucu&d=t> - news <http://biz.yahoo.com/n/u/ucu.html>) is an international energy company with 4 million customers across the U.S. and in Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. Additional information on Aquila and UtiliCorp is available at www.aquila.com <http://www.aquila.com> . 
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI <http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ni&d=t> - news <http://biz.yahoo.com/n/n/ni.html>) is a holding company with headquarters in Merrillville, Ind., whose operating companies engage in the exploration and production, transmission, storage and distribution of natural gas, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution. Its operating companies provide service to 3.6 million customers located within the high-demand energy corridor that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico through the Midwest to New England. Information about NiSource and its subsidiaries is available at www.nisource.com <http://www.nisource.com> . 
SOURCE: NiSource Inc.