Houston Street Exchange rolls out the first fully Web-based wholesale electric power trading floor --HoustonStreet.com-- across the country.

PORTSMOUTH, NH, September 13, 1999 --Traders in every power region in the country can now buy and sell wholesale electric power with a click of a mouse using HoustonStreet.com. Until today, only power traders in the Northeast (NEPOOL, PJM and NY) could buy and sell power on the site. Houston Street Exchange has extended coverage nationwide four months before originally planned in response to continuing positive reviews from users. To facilitate smooth transactions in every region, Houston Street Exchange has adapted its site to address the subtle differences in how traders buy and sell power in different regions.

HoustonStreet.com allows traders to post offers, make bids, counter and re-counter based on the product and term of their choice. With the site, users can trade power much like they do today (via telephone), but with a much more efficient and easy-to-use medium - the Internet - providing much broader access to market information.

HoustonStreet.com now has new features that facilitate trading power online:

• A "cancel/suspend" button allows traders to cancel or suspend all outstanding bids and offers with a single mouse click.·
• An enhanced credit ranking system prevents trades from occurring with counterparties not on your approved list.·
• A "modify" button allows traders to modify outstanding bids and offers easily.
• New energy links provide valuable trading information.