PG&E Corporation's First Wind Farm Nears Commercial Operation; Facility is 
First of Its
                    Kind in New York State 
                    Source: Business Wire 
                    Publication date: 2000-09-15


                    BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15,
                    2000--New York State's first merchant wind farm
                    takes another step toward commercial operation
                    today. 

                     PG&E Corporation's (NYSE: PCG) National
                    Energy Group will mark the occasion at the
                    11.5-megawatt Madison Windpower Project in
                    Madison County, New York with a ribbon-cutting
                    ceremony today and a community open house
                    tomorrow. 

                    "Madison Windpower's commercial operation is a
                    milestone for us," said PG&E National Energy
                    Group President and Chief Operating Officer Chris
                    Iribe. "Aside from offering critical additional capacity
                    to the New York State power market, we're
                    pioneering a new approach to linking customers to
                    new, renewable energy facilities." 

                    The seven-turbine facility, the first of its kind east of
                    the Mississippi River, will sell electricity into the
                    Northeast power grid through the New York State
                    Electric & Gas Transmission System and the New
                    York Independent System Operator (ISO). 

                    The company will also offer Pure Wind(SM)
                    certificates to interested customers. Pure
                    Wind(SM) certificates correspond to the
                    environmental attributes associated with equivalent
                    amounts of wind-generated electricity delivered to
                    the New York power pool. 

                    Because wind-generated electricity has no air
                    emissions, the avoided emissions may be
                    compared to the pollution emitted by the average of
                    all New York State power generation facilities. On
                    this basis, total electricity output for the Madison
                    Windpower facility in an average year will avoid
                    12,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 65 tons of
                    sulfur dioxide (SO2), and 19 tons of nitrogen oxide
                    (NOx). 

                    Pure Wind(SM) certificates will also be available to
                    consumers through a web-based sales site at
                    http://www.purewind.net, currently under
                    development. 

                    "Wind power is a commercially available,
                    economically viable and completely renewable
                    energy source," said Iribe. "This project puts
                    Madison on the map as an innovative leader in the
                    development of renewable energy; and by
                    supporting this project, New York has jumped to the
                    forefront in demonstrating its commitment to
                    improved air quality," he added. 

                    To further the process of bringing renewable power
                    to New York State, the New York State Energy
                    Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
                    awarded the Madison Windpower Project a
                    research and development contract. 

                    "As NYSERDA celebrates its 25th anniversary this
                    week, how fitting it is for us to be here today
                    celebrating the opening of the largest wind power
                    plant in the Northeast," said Parker D. Mathusa, a
                    member of NYSERDA's Board of Directors.
                    "NYSERDA's mission over those years has been to
                    use innovation and technology to help solve the
                    State's energy and environmental problems, which
                    is exactly what we are doing here today as we bring
                    clean power to the market place." 

                    The Madison project joins one of the nation's
                    fast-growing power generation sectors. According to
                    the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA),
                    capacity from windpower plants has nearly doubled
                    in the last 10 years. Currently, installed windpower
                    facilities supply nearly 2,650 megawatts of capacity
                    to U.S. markets. 

                    With wind speeds between eight and twenty miles
                    per hour, Madison will supply enough emission-free
                    electricity to power approximately 10,000 homes. 

                    PG&E Corporation with 1999 revenues of nearly $21
                    billion and operations in 21 states, markets energy
                    services and products throughout North America
                    through its National Energy Group. 

                    The Corporation has ownership and management
                    interests in 30 operating electric power generating
                    plants in 10 states, providing it with a generation
                    portfolio of more than 7,000 megawatts and more
                    than 10,000 megawatts in new power plant
                    development and construction currently underway. It
                    also has one of the largest energy trading and risk
                    management programs in North America. 

                    B-Roll available upon request 

                    Please visit our websites: www.pgecorp.com and
                    www.purewind.net 

                    To order a copy of PG&E Corporation's 1999
                    Environmental Annual Report, click on the leaf
                    symbol on our website or call 800/743-6397. 

                    To order a copy of PG&E Corporation's 1999
                    Financial Annual Report, click on the club symbol
                    on our website or call 800/654-2582. 

                    EDITORS: Please do not use "Pacific Gas and
                    Electric" or "PG&E" when referring to PG&E
                    Corporation or its National Energy Group. The
                    PG&E National Energy Group is not the same
                    company as Pacific Gas and Electric Company,
                    the utility, and is not regulated by the California
                    Public Utilities Commission. 

                    Customers of Pacific Gas and Electric Company do
                    not have to buy products or services from the
                    National Energy Group in order to continue to
                    receive quality regulated services from Pacific Gas
                    and Electric Company.