Mirant to Reduce SO2 Emissions by 95% at its Maryland Power Plants

ATLANTA, Aug. 3  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mirant Corporation (NYSE:MIR) today announced a plan that will reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by as much as 95 percent (approximately 220,000 tons per year) at the Maryland power plants owned or operated by subsidiaries of Mirant Corporation.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060803/CLTH090 )

Mirant will install flue gas desulfurization (FGD) emissions controls at its three Maryland power plants: Chalk Point Generating Station located in Prince George's County, Dickerson Generating Station located in Montgomery County, and Morgantown Generating Station located in Charles County.

In addition, Mirant will install a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system at the Chalk Point facility that will further reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by approximately 92 percent (approximately 4,500 tons per year).

Together, the FGDs and the SCR will reduce by approximately 90 percent the emissions of ionic mercury from the three power plants.

"We are making a major investment in emission reduction technologies," said Edward R. Muller, Mirant chairman and CEO.  "This equipment offers an excellent solution for substantially improving air quality while maintaining system reliability and efficient power generation for consumers and businesses."

These environmental upgrades are part of Mirant's previously announced environmental capital expenditures program.

Shaw Stone & Webster has been awarded, through a competitive process, the contract for the construction and installation of the FGDs and the SCR.

Mirant will file a request for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity with the State of Maryland in September 2006.

Mirant is a competitive energy company that produces and sells electricity in the United States, the Caribbean, and the Philippines. Mirant owns or leases approximately 17,300 megawatts of electric generating capacity globally. The company operates an asset management and energy marketing organization from its headquarters in Atlanta. For more information, please visit http://www.mirant.com/.

Some of the statements included herein involve forward-looking information. Mirant cautions that these statements involve known and unknown risks and that there can be no assurance that such results will occur. There are various important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, such as, but not limited to, legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding deregulation, regulation or restructuring of the electric utility industry; changes in state, federal and other regulations (including rate regulations); changes in, or changes in the application of, environmental and other laws and regulations to which Mirant and its subsidiaries and affiliates are or could become subject; the failure of Mirant's assets to perform as expected; Mirant's pursuit of potential business strategies, including the acquisition of additional assets or the disposition or alternative utilization of existing assets; changes in market conditions, including developments in energy and commodity supply, demand, volume and pricing or the extent and timing of the entry of additional competition in the markets of Mirant's subsidiaries and affiliates; increased margin requirements, market volatility or other market conditions that could increase Mirant's obligations to post collateral beyond amounts which are expected; Mirant's inability to access effectively the over- the-counter and exchange-based commodity markets or changes in commodity market liquidity or other commodity market conditions, which may affect Mirant's ability to engage in asset management and proprietary trading activities as expected; Mirant's inability to enter into intermediate and long-term contracts to sell power and procure fuel, including its transportation, on terms and prices acceptable to Mirant; weather and other natural phenomena, including hurricanes and earthquakes; war, terrorist activities or the occurrence of a catastrophic loss; environmental regulations that restrict Mirant's ability to operate its business; deterioration in the financial condition of Mirant's customers or counterparties and the resulting failure to pay amounts owed to Mirant or to perform obligations or services due to Mirant; the disposition of the pending litigation described in Mirant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; political factors that affect Mirant's international operations, such as political instability, local security concerns, tax increases, expropriation of property, cancellation of contract rights and environmental regulations; the inability of Mirant's operating subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash flow and Mirant's inability to access that cash flow to enable Mirant to make debt service and other payments; the resolution of claims and obligations that were not resolved during Mirant's Chapter 11 proceedings that may have a material adverse effect on Mirant's results of operations and other factors discussed in Mirant's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006.

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