Retx.com and APX Form E-commerce Alliance to Enable End Users to Respond to High Electric Power Prices

7/12/2000

ATLANTA, Ga., and SANTA CLARA, Calif. (July 12, 2000) – Retx.com TM and Automated Power Exchange TM Inc. (APX®) today announced that they have formed an alliance to create an end-to-end load management service that utilities and aggregators can provide to commercial and industrial customers. Contributing to system reliability and greater price stability, end users will be able to sell excess on-site generation and curtailed load to utilities, retail energy service companies, and aggregators in times when market prices escalate.
“This is a prime example of how technology and the Internet can make a real difference for en-ergy consumers and help to solve America¹s growing energy problems,” said Ross Malme, CEO and president of Retx.com. “We began Retx.com knowing interactive technology would shape the new customer choice energy markets. Now, this unique alliance with APX combined with our Load Management Dispatcher gives our clients, and their end-use customers, a powerful tool for controlling costs, meeting energy needs, and reducing market volatility.”

“With price signals from our wholesale exchange markets, end users will know when it is in their business interests to produce excess generation or reduce their use of system power,” said Edward G. Cazalet, APX chairman. “Using the APX and Retx.com services in tandem, they also can sell the surplus or unused power to utilities, retailers, and aggregators – all on the Internet without the need for large infrastructure investments.”

Under the agreement, Retx.com is the preferred load management system provider for APX, and APX is the preferred trading service and scheduling provider for Retx.com. APX will provide Retx.com with a price feed from its markets, which Retx.com will in turn provide to its Load Man-agement Dispatcher customers who are registered with APX. Retx.com will provide APX with the system infrastructure needed to alert APX exchange market participants of conditions that suggest the sale of on-site generation or curtailed load. APX customers include utilities, power marketers and traders, generators, and aggregators.

Available in selected U.S. markets, the joint APX-Retx.com service aligns with U.S. Energy Secre-tary Bill Richardson’s call for distributed generation projects to minimize power outages during peak demand periods.

Retx.com, founded in 1998, works with electric and gas distribution utilities and retail energy service providers that have or will deregulate or unbundle their energy services. It provides fully integrated and secure Web-based clearinghouse services customized for each company, including customer enrollment, meter information management, retail settlements, curtailment manage-ment, performing compliance responses, assisting with audit capability, and more. Retx.com also works with energy companies to plan and prepare for customer choice in future deregulating marketplaces. ...

Founded in 1996, Automated Power Exchange operates Internet-based exchanges and clearing-houses for the buying and selling of electric power, renewable power, and related products, and provides the core market and scheduling technologies and services needed to support power sys-tem administration. A privately held company, APX has its world headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., and its European headquarters in London. For more information, visit www.apx.com.

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Retx.com and APX Form E-commerce Alliance to Enable End Users to Respond to High Electric Power Prices
7/12/2000
ATLANTA, Ga., and SANTA CLARA, Calif. (July 12, 2000) – Retx.com TM and Automated Power Exchange TM Inc. (APX®) today announced that they have formed an alliance to create an end-to-end load management service that utilities and aggregators can provide to commercial and industrial customers. Contributing to system reliability and greater price stability, end users will be able to sell excess on-site generation and curtailed load to utilities, retail energy service companies, and aggregators in times when market prices escalate. “This is a prime example of how technology and the Internet can make a real difference for en-ergy consumers and help to solve America¹s growing energy problems,” said Ross Malme, CEO and president of Retx.com. “We began Retx.com knowing interactive technology would shape the new customer choice energy markets. Now, this unique alliance with APX combined with our Load Management Dispatcher gives our clients, and their end-use customers, a powerful tool for controlling costs, meeting energy needs, and reducing market volatility.” “With price signals from our wholesale exchange markets, end users will know when it is in their business interests to produce excess generation or reduce their use of system power,” said Edward G. Cazalet, APX chairman. “Using the APX and Retx.com services in tandem, they also can sell the surplus or unused power to utilities, retailers, and aggregators – all on the Internet without the need for large infrastructure investments.” Under the agreement, Retx.com is the preferred load management system provider for APX, and APX is the preferred trading service and scheduling provider for Retx.com. APX will provide Retx.com with a price feed from its markets, which Retx.com will in turn provide to its Load Man-agement Dispatcher customers who are registered with APX. Retx.com will provide APX with the system infrastructure needed to alert APX exchange market participants of conditions that suggest the sale of on-site generation or curtailed load. APX customers include utilities, power marketers and traders, generators, and aggregators. Available in selected U.S. markets, the joint APX-Retx.com service aligns with U.S. Energy Secre-tary Bill Richardson’s call for distributed generation projects to minimize power outages during peak demand periods. Retx.com, founded in 1998, works with electric and gas distribution utilities and retail energy service providers that have or will deregulate or unbundle their energy services. It provides fully integrated and secure Web-based clearinghouse services customized for each company, including customer enrollment, meter information management, retail settlements, curtailment manage-ment, performing compliance responses, assisting with audit capability, and more. Retx.com also works with energy companies to plan and prepare for customer choice in future deregulating marketplaces. ... Founded in 1996, Automated Power Exchange operates Internet-based exchanges and clearing-houses for the buying and selling of electric power, renewable power, and related products, and provides the core market and scheduling technologies and services needed to support power sys-tem administration. A privately held company, APX has its world headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., and its European headquarters in London. For more information, visit www.apx.com. # # #