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PPL Montana today announced that it will donate $100,000 to the Montana Lewis & Clark Legacy Campaign to fund a series of interpretive road signs along major highways that follow the historic expedition's route through the state.

The donation, to be made over five years, will fund the construction of approximately 16 three-panel roadside displays chronicling the tale of Lewis and Clark's journey through Montana.

With millions of tourists likely to tour the state during the upcoming bicentennial celebration of the expedition, this is an excellent opportunity to help educate the public about this important piece of history, said Brad Spencer, chief operating officer for PPL Montana.

"Sometimes being an active corporate citizen today means that we have to help preserve a piece of the past," said Spencer. "Lewis and Clark traveled along the rivers where today our company produces power for Montana communities. We are proud to help preserve the memory of their journey."

PPL Montana operates five hydroelectric plants near the city of Great Falls, where Lewis and Clark were forced to portage around a series of waterfalls as they traveled along the Missouri River in June 1805 and again on their return trip in 1806.

"PPL Montana's commitment to the Legacy Campaign is a wonderful example of responsible corporate citizenship," said Thomas W. Scott, who is chairman of the Montana Lewis & Clark Legacy Campaign and chairman and chief executive officer of First Interstate BancSystems, Inc., based in Billings, Mont. "Their significant commitment to the statewide interpretive sign strategy will help to create a legacy of lasting resources from which future generations of Montanans, and our visitors, can gain knowledge and inspiration."

PPL Montana operates 11 hydroelectric and two coal-fired power plants in the state, and is one of Montana's largest employers. Spencer said it is important to the company and its employees to find opportunities where PPL can support exciting educational initiatives like the Lewis & Clark Legacy Campaign.

The Legacy Campaign is an umbrella organization that includes the Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission, Helena, Mont.; the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Foundation, Great Falls, Mont.; Travelers' Rest Preservation and Heritage Association, Lolo, Mont.; Pompey's Pillar Historical Association, Billings, Mont.; and the Montana Historical Society, Helena, Mont. The group is trying to raise $14 million to commemorate the bicentennial.

Clint Blackwood, executive director of the Montana Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission, said, "PPL Montana's gift will help create a series of signs along some of the most well-traveled Lewis and Clark corridors in the state."

For more information about Lewis and Clark's adventures in the Big Sky State, you can visit the official Montana bicentennial celebration Web site at www.montanalewisandclark.org.

PPL Montana, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. With more than 500 employees, PPL Montana operates the coal-fired Colstrip and Corette power plants and 11 hydroelectric facilities along the Missouri, Flathead, Clark Fork and Madison rivers and Rosebud Creek. PPL EnergyPlus, another PPL subsidiary, operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power in the wholesale energy market.

SOURCE: PPL Montana

CONTACT: Andy Hallmark, PPL Corporation, +1-610-349-1785 or Fax:
+1-610-774-5281

Web site: http://www.montanalewisandclark.org/

Web site: http://www.pplnewsroom.com/

Web site: http://www.pplweb.com/