WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 13, 2002 – Alabama Municipal Electric Authority (AMEA) has purchased a 35% interest in Hometown Connections, the American Public Power Association’s four-year-old subsidiary that provides competitive advantage to public power systems by delivering lower-priced, value-added products and services to APPA members.

AMEA, an 11-member joint action agency located in Montgomery, has been a Hometown Connections affiliate since 1998, selling the portfolio of services within Alabama. "Our success as an affiliate inspired us to become an equity owner in Hometown Connections," said Robert W. Claussen, AMEA general manager. "Over the past four years, and amidst a great deal of change in our industry, Hometown Connections has proven itself as a valuable and flexible resource for public power systems. As we look ahead, we expect its value will only increase, as will the savings realized by AMEA members."

APPA President & CEO Alan H. Richardson said that APPA welcomes AMEA’s investment as another symbol of APPA members’ involvement in the subsidiary. "We created Hometown Connections to ensure that public power systems could meet the demands of a restructuring marketplace. Local service is the hallmark of public power, and the more grassroots involvement Hometown Connections has, the better able it is to meet public power’s needs nationally. AMEA will help guide this important national effort."

Since 1998, Hometown Connections has served more than 300 public power systems, and has a network of 10 public power marketing affiliates. Texas Public Power Association just became an affiliate, joining AMEA, American Municipal Power-Ohio, Crawfordsville (Ind.) Electric Light & Power, Energy Northwest, Florida Municipal Electric Association, Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma, and Gila (Ariz.) Resources.

"AMEA’s involvement will assist Hometown Connections as it continues to increase its product and service offerings for public power systems," said Tim Blodgett, president & CEO, Hometown Connections. "With the shifting marketplace, we will be placing more emphasis on the planning and infrastructure side of the utility business, as well as continuing to offer a wide range of retail products." Blodgett noted the recently announced formation of a marketing alliance with Spectrum Energy, Inc., for discounts on turn-key generation development services, as well as a soon to be announced risk management consulting services, as examples of the kind of new services Hometown Connections will offer.

Vendors with which Hometown Connections has a relationship include: EMC Engineers, Inc.; Enercom, Inc.; Harris Computer Systems; Itron, Inc.; Neighborhood Link; Panamax; Power & Telephone Supply; Satisfaction Development Systems, Inc.; Spectrum Energy, Inc.; TESCO; Uptown Services, Inc.; and ZCorum, Inc.

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