Washington Group International to Perform Clean-Air Retrofit Services at Allegheny Energy Power Plant

BOISE, Idaho and MORGANTOWN, W.Va., March 15  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Washington Group International (NASDAQ:WGII) announced today that it has been selected to provide engineering, procurement, and construction services for a major environmental project at Allegheny Energy's Fort Martin Power Station near Maidsville, W.Va. This initiative is part of Allegheny's extensive environmental stewardship program to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.

As part of the $550 million project, Washington Group will provide engineering, procurement, and construction services for flue-gas desulfurization systems (scrubbers) at the 1,107-megawatt power plant. The scrubbers will be designed to remove more than 90 percent of the sulfur dioxide emissions from the station. In addition to the environmental benefits of the project, the system will enable the power plant to burn more local, high-sulfur coal. The retrofit is expected to be operational in 2009.

"We are delighted to support Allegheny in their continuing efforts to meet customer demand for clean, efficient power," said Lou Pardi, president of Washington Group's Power Business Unit, based in Princeton, N.J. "Our significant air-quality project experience and proven record of performance in clean-air systems allow us to build on our strong partnership with Allegheny and deliver the operational excellence they expect."

Washington Group is also performing similar services at Allegheny Energy's Hatfield's Ferry plant in Masontown, Pa.

Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned electric utility with total annual revenues of over $3 billion and more than 4,000 employees. Through its two major businesses, Allegheny Energy Supply Company, LLC and Allegheny Power, the company owns and operates generating facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to over 1.5 million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. For more information, visit http://www.alleghenyenergy.com/.

Washington Group International (NASDAQ:WGII) provides the talent, innovation, and proven performance to deliver integrated engineering, construction, and management solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with more than $3 billion in annual revenue, the company has approximately 25,000 people at work around the world providing solutions in power, environmental management, defense, oil and gas processing, mining, industrial facilities, transportation, and water resources.  For more information, visit http://www.wgint.com/.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, could, should, expect, anticipate, intend, plan, estimate, or continue or the negative thereof or other variations thereof.  Each forward-looking statement, including, without limitation, any financial guidance, speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Washington Group undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. The forward-looking statements are necessarily based on assumptions and estimates of management and are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties.  Actual results may vary materially as a result of changes or developments in social, economic, business, market, legal, and regulatory circumstances or conditions, both domestically and globally, as well as due to actions by customers, clients, suppliers, business partners, or government bodies.  Performance is subject to numerous factors, including demand for new power generation and for modification of existing power facilities, public sector funding, demand for extractive resources, capital spending plans of customers, and spending levels and priorities of the U.S., state and other governments.  Results may also vary as a result of difficulties or delays experienced in the execution of contracts or implementation of strategic initiatives.  For additional risks and uncertainties impacting the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, please see "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Washington Group's annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2006. 

DATASOURCE: Washington Group International



CONTACT:  Media, Jerry Holloway or Laurie Spiegelberg, [phone],

or Investors, Earl Ward, [phone], all of Washington Group

International



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

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

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