Press Releases

Internet-Based Electronic Commerce Going Smoothly for Pennsylvania Utilities, Says Official of Group 8760, State's Leading Supplier of EC Solutions

July 11, 2000 • Birmingham, Alabama

The launch of Internet-based electronic commerce in Pennsylvania's deregulated energy has been a success, an official of Group 8760 said today. Group 8760's GISBAgent®, certified by the Gas Industry Standards Board (GISB), is the leading electronic commerce solution for Pennsylvania's deregulated electricity market.

"Based on a poll of our customers and their trading partners, this initiative appears to have gone smoothly," said Jim Buccigross, vice president of Group 8760's energy practice.

Buccigross, chairman of the GISB Executive Committee, added that "GISB standards have been proven in the natural gas industry, and it's clear they will meet the electronic commerce needs of the electricity marketplace as well."

GISBAgent® is a GISB-certified electronic delivery mechanism for inbound and outbound Internet electronic data interchange (EDI) and other file transport between trading partners over the Internet. In October 1999 the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission mandated that all energy companies participating in the state's Customer Choice program be able to carry out EDI over the Internet by July 2000.

Four of the seven electric distribution companies in Pennsylvania's deregulated marketplace -- Pennsylvania Power Co., GPU Energy, Duquesne Light Company, and UGI Utilities -- have selected Group 8760's GISBAgent®. PG Energy, a Pennsylvania natural gas utility, and FirstEnergy, Pennsylvania Power's parent company, have also chosen GISBAgent® .

Pete Byrne, GPU's project leader, said, "GPU Energy has already converted nine of its energy suppliers to the Internet, and we have sent over 8,000 Internet EDI transactions since go-live on July 3. We are testing with additional Pennsylvania suppliers and are planning to use the Internet for transactions with our New Jersey suppliers as well. GISBAgent® will be an integral part of GPU Energy's overall electronic commerce strategy."

Additional information on Group 8760 is available on the Internet at http://www.8760.com or by contacting Helen Markland or Jim Mark at 205-250-8053.