Allegheny Energy Holds Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

NEW YORK -- In remarks today at the Allegheny Energy, Inc. (NYSE:AYE) Annual Meeting, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Evanson reported continued progress in strengthening the company's financial condition and expressed his confidence that the company is on course to be one of the premier utilities in the nation.

"We made significant strides in 2005 by growing our earnings, reducing debt, and improving our operational and environmental performance," said Evanson. "With our solid first quarter earnings, we are off to a good start in 2006."

At the annual meeting, stockholders re-elected the following directors to one-year terms: H. Furlong Baldwin, Eleanor Baum, Paul J. Evanson, Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr., Julia L. Johnson, Ted J. Kleisner, Steven H. Rice, Gunnar E. Sarsten and Michael H. Sutton.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP was reappointed as Allegheny Energy's independent registered public accounting firm for 2006.

As recommended by the Board of Directors, stockholders rejected seven shareholder proposals including ones regarding performance-based stock options and a separate vote on Golden Pay, as well as a proposal requiring that the Chairman of the Board serve in that role only.

Allegheny Energy

Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned utility consisting of two major businesses. Allegheny Energy Supply owns and operates electric generating facilities, and Allegheny Power delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. For more information, visit our Web site at www.alleghenyenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements 

In addition to historical information, this release contains a number of "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as anticipate, expect, project, intend, plan, believe, and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. These include statements with respect to: rate regulation and the status of retail generation service supply competition in states served by Allegheny Energy's distribution business, Allegheny Power; financing plans; demand for energy and the cost and availability of raw materials, including coal; provider-of-last-resort and power supply contracts; results of litigation; results of operations; internal controls and procedures; capital expenditures; status and condition of plants and equipment; capacity purchase commitments; regulatory matters; and accounting issues. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations and projections and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that actual results will not materially differ from expectations. Actual results have varied materially and unpredictably from past expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, the following: plant performance and unplanned outages; changes in the price of power and fuel for electric generation; general economic and business conditions; changes in access to capital markets; complications or other factors that render it difficult or impossible to obtain necessary lender consents or regulatory authorizations on a timely basis; environmental regulations; the results of regulatory proceedings, including proceedings related to rates; changes in industry capacity, development and other activities by Allegheny Energy's competitors; changes in the weather and other natural phenomena; changes in customer switching behavior and their resulting effects on existing and future load requirements; changes in the underlying inputs and assumptions, including market conditions used to estimate the fair values of commodity contracts; changes in laws and regulations applicable to Allegheny Energy, its markets or its activities; the loss of any significant customers or suppliers; dependence on other electric transmission and gas transportation systems and their constraints or availability; changes in PJM, including changes to participant rules and tariffs; the effect of accounting policies issued periodically by accounting standard-setting bodies; and the continuing effects of global instability, terrorism and war. Additional risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Allegheny Energy's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.