Cinergy Sending Crews for Hurricane Rita Restoration Efforts.

CINCINNATI -- Cinergy is sending approximately 150 employees to Louisiana to assist Entergy in the restoration of electric service after Hurricane Rita hit the Gulf Coast early Saturday morning. The personnel will relieve Cinergy workers who have been working in the Gulf since September 17 on power restoration from Hurricane Katrina.

Crews consisting of line workers, engineers, material and administration support, and mechanics from Cinergy's operating companies PSI Energy, Cincinnati Gas & Electric and Union, Light, Heat & Power Co. will leave in phases Wednesday through Friday. They are expected to be in the Gulf until mid-October.

Cinergy employees at home are also helping to support the relief efforts. Employees and the company have contributed more than $240,000 to the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. The Cinergy Foundation and company officers have matched employee donations dollar-for-dollar.

Cinergy Corp. has a balanced, integrated portfolio consisting of two core businesses: regulated operations and commercial businesses. Cinergy's regulated public utilities in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky serve 1.5 million electric customers and about 500,000 gas customers. In addition, its Indiana regulated company owns 7,000 megawatts of generation. Cinergy's competitive commercial businesses have 6,300 megawatts of generating capacity with a profitable balance of stable existing customer portfolios, new customer origination, marketing and trading, and industrial-site cogeneration. Cinergy's integrated businesses make it a Midwest leader in providing both low-cost generation and reliable electric and gas service.