Generation Information Certificates for Power Production that Meets State Renewable Portfolio Standards Increase 218 Percent

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (Oct. 31, 2002) - APX, a provider of transaction processing services for the electric power industry, announced today that the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) Generation Information System (GIS) has created a total of 63 million electricity generation “certificates.” Administered and developed by APX, the system began operation July 1 to help verify retail electric supplier compliance with various green power and environmental regulations.

On Oct. 15, the system created a total of 32 million certificates for power produced in the second quarter, from April through June 2002. Of those certificates, 6,052,209 were for generation that met one or more state renewal portfolio standard requirements, an increase of 218 percent over the previous quarter. In comparison, the system created a total of 31 million certificates July 15 for power generated in the first quarter, from January through March 2002, with 2,767,395 of those for generation that met one or more renewal portfolio standard requirements.

The Web-based system at www.nepoolgis.com records the production details not only of power generated with renewable sources, but also of all types of electricity generation in the NEPOOL control area, including coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, and nuclear fuel sources. It is the first system of this type in the United States.

For each megawatt hour of power, the system creates an electronic certificate, which may be sold or otherwise transferred off line. The certificate describes: when, where, and who produced the power; the type of fuel source used; renewable portfolio standard eligibility; the amount and type of certain pollutant emissions released; and other characteristics. Retail electric suppliers use the information to report compliance with requirements set by certain New England states, such as: minimum renewable power purchase levels; disclosure of fuel source and other characteristics of the power that they sell; and maximum levels of certain emissions. Using the system are more than 100 generators, power traders, and retail electric suppliers in the NEPOOL control area, which encompasses Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and most of Maine. Non-NEPOOL members also have access to the system.

Said Gary Zielanski, APX program director, “Use of the system is continually increasing. On an average day, 30 users log on to the system to record data and generate reports.”

APX, which has a five-year contract with NEPOOL, also has developed renewable energy credit systems that serve California, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners has cited the NEPOOL Generation Information System and the Texas Renewable Energy Credit System, also developed by APX, in a resolution to encourage the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to include a requirement for each regional transmission organization to develop a tracking database for all electricity generation as part of FERC’s standard market design.

About NEPOOL: NEPOOL is a voluntary association of more than 200 participants in the New England bulk power system. NEPOOL has contracted with ISO New England Inc. to operate and administer the New England transmission system and wholesale power markets in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. More information is available at www.iso-ne.com.

About APX Inc.: An independent transaction processing service provider for wholesale electric power markets, APX processes more than 700 million megawatt hours per year for approximately 200 client companies in North America and Europe. Services include scheduling and settlement, trading platforms and brokerages, generation information, and demand response. A privately held company, APX has offices in California, Texas, Connecticut, England, and Norway. More information is available at www.apx.com.

For more information on the system and how to register please contact:
James Webb, GIS Administrator, APX, Inc, 408-517-2174, gis@apx.com