Over Half of Future Energy Needs are to be Met With Renewables, Plant Upgrades and Conservation SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avista Corp. (NYSE:AVE) has submitted its 2005 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the public utility commissions in Idaho and Washington. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040128/SFW031LOGO ) The 2005 IRP identifies a strategic resource portfolio that meets future electric load requirements, promotes environmental stewardship and meets the company's obligation to provide reliable electric service to customers at rates, terms and conditions that are fair, just and reasonable and sufficient. Avista regards the IRP as a tool for resource evaluation, rather than an acquisition plan for a particular project. Avista forecasts that electricity sales will grow 2.1 percent annually through 2026, and that energy and capacity deficits will begin in 2010 and 2009, respectively, growing to 640 aMW and 901 MW by the end of the study in 2026. In order to meet these increased demands, Avista's preferred resource plan, which is part of the IRP, includes 400 MW of wind, 250 MW of coal, 80 MW of biomass, 52 MW of plant upgrades and 69 MW of conservation by 2016. The plan calls for Avista's energy conservation acquisitions to be 50 percent higher than in the 2003 IRP. Avista's management and stakeholders in the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) played a key role and had a significant impact in guiding the plan to its final conclusions. TAC members included customers, commission staff, consumer advocates, academics, utility peers, government agencies and other interested parties. "Our stakeholders, through the TAC, provided important input on modeling, planning assumptions and the general direction of the planning process," said Clint Kalich, Avista manager of resource planning and power supply. "The TAC also provides a valuable sounding board by critiquing the IRP work as it is completed." Avista submits an IRP to state regulators every two years with a 20-year view to the future. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and the Idaho Public Utilities Commission will take comments on the plan over the next several months. The plans are available on the company's website, http://www.avistautilities.com/resources/plans/electric.asp. Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is a company operating division that provides service to 330,000 electric and 285,000 natural gas customers in three western states. Avista's non-regulated subsidiaries include Avista Advantage and Avista Energy. Avista Corp.'s stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit http://www.avistacorp.com/. NOTE: Avista Corp. and the Avista Corp. logo are trademarks of Avista Corporation. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040128/SFW031LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Avista Corp. CONTACT: media, Catherine Markson, +1-509-495-2916, or , or investors, Jason Lang, +1-509-495-2930, or , or Avista 24/7 Media Access, +1-509-495-4174, all of Avista Web site: http://www.avistautilities.com/ Web site: http://www.avistacorp.com/

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