Alliant Energy Industrial Services Announces Strategic Partnership With Enermetrix.

Business/Technology Editors

MADISON, Wis. & MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 2001

Alliant Energy Industrial Services, the diversified energy and environmental services company of Alliant Energy, has entered into a strategic partnership with Enermetrix of Maynard, Mass. Enermetrix provides solutions to the energy industry that allow for a high degree of business process automation.

Alliant Energy Industrial Services will make an equity investment in Enermetrix. Alliant Energy Industrial Services will have a seat on the Enermetrix board of directors and have a representative on the Enermetrix advisory board.

As part of the strategic partnership, Alliant Energy Industrial Services has selected and purchased Enermetrix technology to automate business processes, and will use the Enermetrix Network to allow its customers to buy natural gas and electricity online through the Enermetrix Exchange, a vendor-neutral transaction environment where energy buyers and suppliers conduct real-time online transactions. The Network will help drive down costs for customers, increase their energy options and maintain their energy reliability.

The Enermetrix Network is still the only retail energy contracting solution that allows for the creation of digitally signed, electronic contracts. Businesses utilizing Enermetrix technology, solutions and the Network go to market faster with strategies and tactics that work, automate their energy buying and selling, reduce process costs and produce better business results.

"We are excited about this partnership with Enermetrix because we know customers want no-hassle, low-cost ways to meet their energy needs," said Charles Castine, president of Alliant Energy Industrial Services. "We believe that this Web-based approach represents the future for energy sales in a competitive marketplace. Through this strategic partnership, we provide our customers the most convenient, cost-effective and reliable method available for their energy purchases. At the same time, they can enjoy price-certainty during times of market fluctuations."

"We are highly impressed by Alliant's initiatives to deliver best-in-class energy related products and services to its customers," said John Gaus, chairman and founder of Enermetrix. "We are confident that this strategic relationship will be great for Alliant's customers, great for the rapidly advancing Midwest energy markets and beneficial for both companies!"

Through the Enermetrix Network, customers who can competitively purchase their electricity or natural gas can specify their energy needs on-line. Suppliers then can bid on providing the service, specifying the price at which they can deliver the energy. The customer, working with Alliant Energy Industrial Services, can choose a supplier based on the needs of his or her organization. The secure transaction is handled quickly and efficiently, so customers don't have to spend significant amounts of time and attention soliciting and researching competitive proposals. The Enermetrix Network is available for any company or organization that can competitively choose its energy supplier. In Alliant Energy's major utility service states of Iowa and Wisconsin, school, commercial and industrial customers have the option to competitively purchase their natural gas supply.

"This is a great time and opportunity to partner with energy-focused Internet commerce companies," said Greg Genin, general manager of Alliant Energy Industrial Services' Energy Management Services. "Competition continues to spur advances in technology and we are excited to be a part of new ways to connect with customers."

The Enermetrix investment marks Alliant Energy's second investment in on-line energy services. In October, the company announced that it was an investor in SmartEnergy.com.

"The investment in Enermetrix is one further step in Alliant Energy Industrial Services' goal of becoming a full-service national energy and environmental services company. This investment - combined with our existing energy and environmental consulting services, customer information services, on-site energy infrastructure and natural gas producer services - expands the platform of products and services we can offer our customers," said Castine.

Castine said the company expects the service to be operational for customers by the end of the first quarter of 2001.

About Enermetrix

Enermetrix is a privately held Company headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts operating throughout the United States. The Company is the leading provider of e-business databases and software applications to the energy industry. Enermetrix also operates the nation's most active electronic network for buying and selling energy for commercial and industrial businesses. The Company's technology automates the processes required to get energy from wholesale markets to retail meters, and helps businesses overcome the challenges of deregulating energy markets.

The Company's investors include GE Capital, a Company of General Electric (NYSE: GE); Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), InSight Capital Partners, Cinergy (NYSE:CIN), Alliant Energy (NYSE: LNT), DQE Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of DQE, Inc. (NYSE: DQE); and Unitil Corporation (AMEX: UTL). For additional information regarding Enermetrix, visit the Company's Web site at www.enermetrix.com or call [phone].

About Alliant Energy Industrial Services

Alliant Energy Industrial Services is the non-utility energy and environmental subsidiary of Alliant Energy, a growing energy company based in Madison, Wis. Alliant Energy Industrial Services provides energy consulting, on-site generation, energy commodity and environmental engineering and construction management services for clients. Information about the company is found on-line at www.alliantenergyisco.com.