| Allegheny Energy Supports West Virginia Wesleyan College released: 06/07/02 |
| Continuing
its legacy of generous support for higher education in West Virginia, Allegheny
Energy, Inc. has donated $36,000 to nine member colleges of West Virginia
Independent Colleges & Universities, Inc. (WVICU), including $4,000
to West Virginia Wesleyan College. Allegheny Energy has supported the independent college organization for the past 33 years, during which it has donated nearly $450,000. For the second consecutive year, Allegheny's gift has qualified the Company as a member of the Mountain State Scholarship Circle (MSSC) Program. The program will allow 36 deserving West Virginia students to receive a $1,000 scholarship and be named an Allegheny Energy Scholar. Students will qualify for MSSC funds by meeting academic and need-based requirements. The MSSC program, now in its sixth year, has secured $1.2 million in financial aid for nearly 1,000 students. Paul B. Chewning, President of WVICU, states, "We are pleased that Allegheny Energy continues to be a generous partner in supporting private higher education in West Virginia. By renewing its commitment to the Mountain State Scholarship Circle Program, the Company is furthering its leadership position in advancing higher education opportunities in our state." David L. Riggleman, Allegheny Energy's General Manager, Local Government Affairs, notes, "Allegheny Energy is proud of our advocacy for education in all the communities we serve. This year, we will donate more than $1.3 million to schools, human service agencies, institutions of higher learning, youth associations, cultural organizations, and other groups that work every day to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve." In addition to West Virginia Wesleyan College, the other WVICU members receiving support from Allegheny Energy include Alderson-Broaddus College, Bethany College, Davis & Elkins College, Mountain State University (formerly The College of West Virginia), Ohio Valley College, Salem International University, The University of Charleston, and Wheeling Jesuit University. With headquarters in Hagerstown, Md., Allegheny Energy is an integrated Fortune 500 energy company with a balanced portfolio of businesses, including Allegheny Energy Supply, a national energy merchant which owns and operates electric generating facilities and supplies energy and energy-related commodities in selected domestic retail and wholesale markets; Allegheny Power, which delivers low-cost, reliable electric and natural gas service to about three million people in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; and a business segment offering fiber-optic and data services, energy procurement and management, and energy services. More information about the Company is available at www.alleghenyenergy.com. |