100 Days to Y2K and PacifiCorp Critical Systems Ready.

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 1999--

With just 100 days until the calendar changes to the Year 2000, PacifiCorp's (NYSE:PPW) critical electric systems remain ready for the Year 2000 and it is currently producing and delivering Year 2000 power to its customers.

"Throughout our preparations for the Year 2000 we have stated we will be conducting business as usual Jan. 1, 2000, and beyond," said David Register, Year 2000 project manager, Portland.

Register went on to explain that the Year 2000 (Y2K) preparations did not halt by reaching this goal, but the focus has now shifted to "clean management," finishing the work in non-critical areas of the company and refinements to contingency planning.

"The clean management program was instituted to ensure that systems that have been made Y2K ready are maintained ready as upgrades and regular maintenance to systems or software occurs between now and the beginning of next year," Register said.

In addition, work continues on non-critical systems throughout PacifiCorp's business enterprises and with third-party vendors.

Contingency planning is an evolving process that has been underway for the past year and is overseen by the Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC) and the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). As one of the larger interconnected utilities on the western electric grid, PacifiCorp is working closely with both these agencies and the other western electricity providers to refine contingency plans.

"Working with the rest of the industry to produce these contingency plans has given us an opportunity to examine in depth the way we handle a wide variety of electric reliability issues including the Y2K issue," Register stated.

PacifiCorp began its Y2K preparations in 1996 and has conducted a comprehensive and systematic program of evaluation, assessment, testing and correction on all its systems that electronically process dates. During that time it has also worked one on one with its critical suppliers and provides constant updates on its own progress to its customers. For monthly updates of detailed information about the company's Y2K efforts, see the Y2K page on its website at www.pacificorp.com.

PacifiCorp serves 1.5 million electricity customers in Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho and California. It has one of the most extensive transmission systems in the U.S. and owns 8,300 megawatts of low-cost thermal and hydroelectric generation. PacifiCorp also serves 550,000 electricity customers in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales.