PPL Corp. has announced that its PPL EnergyPlus subsidiary is now supplying electricity to business customers in Maine. This continues the growth of PPL EnergyPlus in states that have opened their electricity markets to competition.

PPL Corp. has been part of the Maine business community for nearly a year. In 1999, a subsidiary company purchased 89 megawatts of generating assets in Maine from Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., as well as transmission rights in Maine to import electricity from Canada.

PPL EnergyPlus is an electricity supplier now serving customers in four states with competitive electricity markets: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maine. In 1999, it sold more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to industrial, commercial and institutional customers.

"PPL EnergyPlus comes to Maine with experience and knowledge of the competitive energy market that is helping thousands of businesses in other states. We offer competitive prices, excellent customer service and creative solutions for customers' specific energy needs," said Larry De Simone, president of PPL EnergyPlus.

PPL Corp.'s experience serving business customers in a competitive market goes back to Pennsylvania's competition pilot program in 1997.

"While many electricity suppliers talk about what they can do to help customers manage their energy costs, we're already doing it," De Simone said.

PPL EnergyPlus also can provide natural gas supply to businesses and, through affiliated companies, offers a full range of energy-related services.

At this time, PPL EnergyPlus is not making offers to residential customers in Maine. Businesses in Maine can learn more about PPL EnergyPlus by visiting the company's web site: www.pplenergyplus.com

Electric Choice began in Maine on March 1, 2000. Consumers may select the company that generates the electricity they use. Electricity providers such as PPL EnergyPlus are licensed by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and compete for their business with prices based on the free market, not government regulation.

Local electric distribution companies in Maine have sold their generating assets, under terms of the 1997 law that restructured the state's electricity utility industry, and will continue to deliver electricity to customers, under prices regulated by the Maine PUC.