TGN Texas Genco Hldgs

Texas Genco's W.A. Parish Coal Plant Makes Platt's POWER Magazine's '12 Top Plants of 2004' WAP is U.S.'s Largest Fossil-Fueled Plant, Among the Lowest NOx Emitters HOUSTON, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Texas Genco Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE:TGN) W.A. Parish Electric Generating Station (WAP) is recognized in Platt's POWER magazine's annual "12 Top Plants of 2004". The power plants, which are located all over the world, are recognized for generating power reliably and economically, and with minimal environmental impact. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030127/DAM020LOGO ) "This is a great honor for the employees of our W.A. Parish plant," said David Tees, president and chief executive officer for Texas Genco. "They have successfully met the challenge of adding emissions control equipment to our Parish plant while maintaining the availability and reliability required by the state's grid operator." Texas Genco's power plant fleet currently operates at one of the lowest nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission rates in the country and WAP likely emits less NOx on a lb/MMBtu basis than any coal-fired plant of any size in the country. With the installation of additional equipment this year, including at WAP, NOx emissions from Houston area power plants will be reduced by about 88 percent compared to 1998 levels. The company has spent more than $700 million on new emission controls since 1999. "Texas Genco is an industry leader in reducing emissions and demonstrating new nitrogen oxide control technologies," said Tom "Smitty" Smith, state director for Texas Public Citizen. "Clearly, this is a win for the citizens of the Houston area who are benefiting from cleaner air." This is the third year that POWER magazine has published a top plants list and the first time a Texas Genco power plant has been included. This year, they received more than 100 nominations representing a wide variety of plant types. Texas Genco Holdings, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is one of the largest wholesale electric power generating companies in the United States with over 14,000 megawatts of generation capacity, of which approximately 2,500 megawatts are currently in mothball status. It sells electric generation capacity, energy and ancillary services in one of the nation's largest power markets, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Texas Genco has one of the most diversified generation portfolios in Texas, using natural gas, oil, coal, lignite, and uranium fuels. The company owns and operates 60 generating units at 11 electric power-generating facilities and owns a 30.8 percent interest in a nuclear generating plant. Texas Genco currently is a majority-owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc. For more information, visit our web site at http://www.txgenco.com/ . http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030127/DAM020LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Texas Genco Holdings, Inc. CONTACT: media, Leticia Lowe, +1-713-207-7702, or investors, Marianne Paulsen, +1-713-207-6500, both of Texas Genco Holdings, Inc. Web site: http://www.txgenco.com/

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