News Releases

BUTTE, Mont. (June 27, 2001) -- PPL EnergyPlus announced Wednesday (6/27) that it has signed a six-year electricity supply contract with Advanced Silicon Materials LLC, a leading polysilicon producer for the semiconductor industry, located in the Butte/Silver Bow area of Montana.

"We are very pleased that we have been able to reach this agreement with ASiMI, one of Montana's largest industrial operations and a major employer in the state," said Larry De Simone, PPL EnergyPlus president. PPL EnergyPlus markets electricity from all power plants operated by PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL).

The power supply agreement provides a long-term electricity supply for ASiMI and reduces the high-tech company's exposure to uncertain future energy prices. The contract, which runs from July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2007, allows ASiMI to continue normal operations while maintaining planned power costs.

"This agreement allows ASiMI to continue serving our investment in Butte without power supply interruption. We are pleased to have PPL Montana as our long-term supplier, and look forward to the partnership," said Mike Kerschen, president of ASiMI. "We have already developed an excellent working relationship with the PPL EnergyPlus Butte staff," Kerschen said.

De Simone said PPL EnergyPlus representatives are continuing discussions with other industrial customers throughout Montana in hopes of reaching long- term supply agreements. He said some of the electricity supplied to ASiMI's facility is anticipated to come from PPL Montana power plants and some power will likely be purchased on the wholesale Western electricity market.

PPL Montana and PPL EnergyPlus, both subsidiaries of PPL Corporation, have offices in Butte, Billings and Helena and together employ more than 500 people in Montana. PPL Montana operates the Colstrip and Corette generating plants and 11 hydroelectric facilities within the state.

Advanced Silicon Materials is a leading producer of ultra-high purity polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) and is the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of silane gas (SiH4). Both products are integrated into a unique core technology to create a base material for silicon wafers used in the semiconductor industry.

ASiMI's corporate headquarters are located at a world-class manufacturing facility near Moses Lake, Wash. The company employs 570 people.

PPL EnergyPlus is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation generates electricity at power plants in Pennsylvania, Maine and Montana; markets wholesale or retail energy in 42 U.S. states and Canada; and delivers electricity to nearly 6 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.

Note to Editors: Visit PPL's media Web site at http://www.pplnewsroom.com/ for additional news and background about the corporation and its subsidiaries.

  Contact:   Dan McCarthy, 610-774-5758
             PPL Corporation
             Two North Ninth St.
             Allentown, Pa. 18101
             Fax 610-774-5281