FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:		
CONTACT: Mark Stultz (202)-628-8200
Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2001 				        
					

Coalition for a Powerful Future Launches Awareness Campaign

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 5, 2001 - With the aim of helping the public stay abreast of recent developments and positive contributions from competition in the electricity industry, a group of major power suppliers and stakeholders today announced the launch of a 13-week information campaign under the banner of the "Coalition for a Powerful Future."

"We have come together to educate consumers and policy-makers about the benefits of competition," said Lynne H. Church, president of the Electric Power Supply Association, a member of the Coalition for a Powerful Future. "The research tells us-and experience has shown us-that competition can bring lower average prices and more choices for consumers from an array of value-added services." 

The Coalition was established to raise public awareness about significant developments regarding competition in electricity. The ad hoc group today began running TV ads to share new research and specific data on the benefits to consumers of truly competitive electricity markets. 

The campaign will initially focus on reaching the Washington, D.C., audiences of such cable news networks as CNN, MSNBC and the FOX News Channel. 

One of the studies that will be highlighted in the campaign is a recent survey done by the Boston Pacific Company showing that consumers have been benefiting most in markets where wholesale competition has been the heaviest.  In the 15 years following the start of wholesale competition, the study found that the overall cost of electricity went down 36 percent among 60 surveyed utilities. 

Another study highlighted in the campaign launched today is a recent report from Pennsylvania's Department of Revenue that found that retail electricity competition there will create more than 40,000 new jobs by 2005. The report also showed that over the same period, competition will add more than $2 billion to the state's economy, with personal income increasing by $1.8 billion. 

"Not only can competition result in reduced rates, it also can bring technological efficiency, environmental improvements, enhanced reliability and increased innovation in pricing and services," Church said. "When done right, competition in the electricity industry has the power to provide thousands of new jobs and to add billions to states' economies and the personal income of state residents."

The coalition will concentrate on education, principally through its ads and today's launch of a new Web site http://www.powerfulfuture.org,which serves as a gateway for visitors to link to helpful studies and informative research on the subject of competition. 

The following organizations have joined as founding members of the Coalition for a Powerful Future: 

?	AES NewEnergy Inc. 
?	Allegheny Energy, Inc.
?	Duke Energy North America
?	Dynegy Inc	
?	Electric Power Supply Association
?	Electricity Consumers Resource Council 
?	Enron 
?	National Energy Marketers Association
?	Reliant Energy

The Coalition is committed to informing the public about the significant benefits that can result from the successful implementation of competition in electricity.  It welcomes the participation of all interested stakeholders. For further details, visit the coalition Web site at www.powerfulfuture.org.


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