-- Competitive supplier now serving all of Pittsburgh’s pro sports venues and the new convention center

PITTSBURGH, PA, March 15, 2004 - A multi-year electricity supply agreement with PNC Park delivers a grand slam for competitive electricity supplier Strategic Energy, which now serves all three of Pittsburgh’s professional sports venues as well as its new $370 million convention center.

PNC Park selected Pittsburgh-based Strategic Energy as its electricity supplier following a competitive bidding process. Under the multi-year agreement, Strategic Energy will power the 38,000-seat ball park and a retail and administrative facility on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

The agreement gives PNC Park a competitive Ceiling Price per kWh that is capped throughout the term of the agreement, providing the facility with budget certainty and the potential for additional savings through Strategic Energy’s unique electricity portfolio management approach.

"For leading organizations, electricity competition is a powerful competitive advantage," said Trevor F. Lauer, Vice President of Strategic Energy. "Customers want lower prices, but they also want budget certainty and security of an experienced, financially secure supplier. Through direct access to the wholesale power markets and objective expertise in buying and managing retail electricity, we can help large customers achieve the best of both worlds."

"Strategic Energy is the right partner for PNC Park," said Bill Dignon, Executive Vice President of Management Services for CB Richard Ellis, which provides facility maintenance services to PNC Park. "They have a solid reputation as a trusted organization that understands how to put competitive markets to work for the customer. Electricity is one of our biggest operational expenses, so we rely on our supplier to extract value from the wholesale market on our behalf, while protecting our investment over the long-term."

Pennsylvania was the first of eight states where Strategic Energy currently provides retail electric supply. The company serves approximately 9,600 customer accounts throughout Pennsylvania and began serving Heinz Field in 2002, Mellon Arena and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in 2003 and PNC Park in 2004. Strategic Energy is headquartered in Two Gateway Center in downtown Pittsburgh and employs more than 250 at its headquarters and in regional offices across the country.

About Strategic Energy
Strategic Energy, headquartered in Pittsburgh since 1986, is an energy management company providing electric load aggregation and power supply coordination services. For a management fee, Strategic Energy buys wholesale power under long-term contracts for direct delivery to retail customers under long-term contracts. The company operates in nine states with retail choice, including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. Majority-owned by Great Plains Energy (NYSE:GXP), Strategic Energy’s website is www.sel.com.

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