FPL Energy Opens Everett Office To Begin Construction of Power Plant.

EVERETT, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 1999--

FPL Energy, Inc. announced today that it is moving forward with plans to build a 248 megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired power plant beside the Snohomish River in Everett, 25 miles north of Seattle.

FPL Energy has opened an office in downtown Everett and its demolition contractor, an Everett based company, is starting site preparation in advance of full-scale construction that will begin early next year. The project is fully permitted and slated for completion in mid-2001. Once it is on-line, this clean burning natural gas-fired plant will help the electric power industry meet the Pacific Northwest's growing demand for electricity.

"The Everett Delta Power Project will be the first independent power plant built in Washington State designed to serve the wholesale market," said Michael Yackira, president of FPL Energy. "We expect to sell power to utilities and other energy retailers in the Northwest at highly competitive rates and have already begun discussions with prospective customers."

"I'm pleased that a leader in the energy field has chosen to build a generation plant in Everett," said Everett Mayor Ed Hansen. "The plant's location at the former Weyerhaeuser pulp mill site on the Snohomish River will add significantly to the redevelopment of that site, and provide a positive economic addition to our city."

FPL Energy's other clean energy facility in the region, a 25-megawatt wind energy project near Pendelton, Ore. began operating last year.

"FPL Energy expects to be a major player in the energy market in the Northwest, and we're currently evaluating several other significant projects in the region," Yackira said. "This particular facility is the right plant in the right place at the right time, and we look forward to being a member of the Everett community."

"The Everett Delta Power Project will bring new employment and tax revenues to our city while helping to fulfill the region's growing demand for power," said Hansen.

Plant construction will create more than 250 jobs and approximately 17 full-time employees will be needed for plant operation.

FPL Energy is a leading independent producer of clean energy, utilizing fuel such as natural gas, wind, hydro, solar, geothermal and biomass, and has more than 4,300 megawatts of generating facilities in operation or under construction in 12 states, South America and the United Kingdom. Over 2,400 megawatts, more than 50 percent of its portfolio, is fueled by natural gas. FPL Energy is also the nation's largest owner of wind energy generation and is the operator and 50 percent owner of the two largest solar facilities in the world.

FPL Energy's parent company, FPL Group, Inc., is one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $6 billion. FPL Group is also the parent company of Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving 3.7 million customer accounts in Florida. Information is available on the internet at www.fplgroup.com, www.fplenergy.com, and www.fpl.com.

FPL Energy's newly opened office is 2610 Wetmore Ave., Everett, WA 98201-2927. The phone number is: 425/267-9720.