Alstom, EPRI, We Energies Launch Innovative Pilot Project to Capture CO2

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis.--(Business Wire)--
The first pilot project that uses chilled ammonia to capture
carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fueled power plants is expected to
commence operation this week, according to an announcement today from
Alstom, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and We Energies.

Alstom designed, constructed and will operate the 1.7-megawatt
system that captures CO2 from a portion of coal-fired boiler flue gas
at We Energies' Pleasant Prairie Power Plant, a 1,210-megawatt
coal-fired generating station, should begin operations the first week
of March. Alstom's process uses chilled ammonia to capture CO2 and
isolates it in a highly concentrated, high-pressure form. In
laboratory testing it has demonstrated the potential to capture more
than 90 percent of CO2 at a cost that is far less than other carbon
capture technologies. Once captured, the CO2 can be used commercially
or sequestered in suitable underground geologic sites.

"This pilot is a significant milestone in our ongoing partnership
with We Energies and EPRI," said Jean-Michel Aubertin, Senior Vice
President of Alstom's Energy and Environment Systems Group. "We
Energies' operational expertise and EPRI's financial and research
collaboration support are perfect complements to Alstom's leadership
in CO2 capture research and development. This plant will provide
invaluable information in leading to commercialization of CO2 capture
technology."

The demonstration project will provide the opportunity to test the
process on a larger scale and to evaluate its potential to remove CO2
while reducing the energy used in the process.

Gale Klappa, chairman, president and CEO of Wisconsin Energy, the
parent company of We Energies, called the pilot project a "critical
step" in the research and development of this process. "Developing
cost-effective carbon capture technology is one of the most important
environmental challenges facing the utility industry in the 21st
century," said Klappa, "and it's important that we take steps now to
achieve a long-term technology solution."

EPRI will conduct an engineering and environmental performance and
cost analysis during the project, which will last at least one year.
Through EPRI's collaborative research and development program, more
than 30 organizations representing a large portion of the coal-fueled
utilities in the United States have committed to support this project.

"We are very proud of the partnership with We Energies, Alstom and
35 other companies who worked together to advance this technology,"
said EPRI Senior Vice President Henry A. Courtright. "EPRI's R&D model
is built on the idea that we can best achieve technological progress
through collaboration. This is especially true in carbon capture, and
other generating and efficiency technologies that must be part of our
industry's climate strategy."

EPRI will conduct an extensive evaluation of the system's
performance and support the development of technological and economic
analyses associated with applying the carbon-capture process on a
commercial scale, primarily to larger coal-fueled power plants.

About ALSTOM

Alstom (http://www.alstom.com) is a global leader in the world of
power generation and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark for
innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds
the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the
world, and provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and
associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including
hydro, gas, coal and wind. About 25 percent of the world's electricity
produced is generated by Alstom technology. The Group employs 65,000
people in 70 countries, and had orders of euro 19 billion in 2006-07.
The Pleasant Prairie facility is one of six ALSTOM pilot projects
already under way in Germany, the U.S., Norway, Sweden and France.
Other projects are being studied and will be announced later this
year.

About We Energies

We Energies serves more than 1.1 million electric customers in
Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula and more than 1 million
natural gas customers in Wisconsin. Our energy prices are
approximately 10 percent below the average for major U.S. cities. We
Energies is the trade name of Wisconsin Electric Power Company and
Wisconsin Gas LLC, the principal utility subsidiaries of Wisconsin
Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC). Visit the We Energies Web site at
www.we-energies.com. Learn more about Wisconsin Energy Corporation by
visiting www.wisconsinenergy.com.

About EPRI

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI, www.epri.com)
conducts research and development on technology, operations and the
environment for the global electric power sector. EPRI is an
independent nonprofit organization. EPRI brings together members, the
institute's scientists and engineers, along with other stakeholders to
meet the challenges facing the electric sector. EPRI supports
multi-disciplined research. EPRI's members represent more than 90
percent of the electricity generated in the United States, and
international participation includes 40 countries. EPRI has major
offices and laboratories in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.;
Knoxville, Tenn., and Lenox, Mass.

Electric Power Research Institute
Clay C. Perry, 202-293-6184
clperry@epri.com
or
Alstom
Melina Georgitsis, 860-938-0501
melina.a.georgitsis@power.alstom.com
or
We Energies
Brian Manthey, 414-221-4444
Brian.Manthey@we-energies.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008