FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2002

IBEW LOCAL 2150 JOINS CUSTOMERS FIRST! COALITION

IBEW Local 2150 and the Customers First! Coalition today announced that the union has joined the coalition. The Milwaukee-based union is the largest electrical workers local union in Wisconsin. Both IBEW Local 2150 and Customers First! Coalition have been proponents of a cautious approach to electric deregulation in Wisconsin and support policies that maintain reliable and affordable electricity for all electric customers.

IBEW Local 2150 President Forrest Ceel said, "the groups have been working together in an informal way for the past few years because we share many of the same concerns about electric deregulation. The bottom line for us is that Wisconsin should take a careful approach to making changes in the electric industry. We have to make sure that any changes benefit all customers and working families by maintaining the safe, reliable and affordable electricity that we've always had in our state. This is a goal CFC shares."

Customers First! Coalition is a diverse alliance of customers, labor unions, municipal, business and environmental groups, retirees, small electric providers and one investor-owned utility. CFC has advocated for a sequential approach to change in the electric industry since 1996 and has promoted legislation to achieve this goal. The coalition supported the 1997 Reliability Act as well as Reliability 2000.

"We are very pleased to be working more closely with IBEW Local 2150. Their membership strengthens CFC's existing broad base of grass-roots support. Together, we will continue to advocate for good energy policies that benefit both customers and working families in Wisconsin," said Bonnie Cosgrove, Project Manager for Customers First! Coalition.