PLUG Plug Power Inc

Plug Power Appoints Maureen Helmer to Board of Directors LATHAM, N.Y., Feb 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Plug Power Inc. announced today the appointment of Maureen Helmer to the Company's Board of Directors, effective Feb. 12, 2004. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021024/PLUGLOGO ) Helmer is currently a partner in the Albany, N.Y., law firm of Couch White, LLP, where she specializes in energy and telecommunications law. She has more than 25 years experience in the energy industry,encompassing several areas of interest. Helmer is the former Chair of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), where she served from 1998 to 2003. While at the New York PSC, Helmer oversaw the development of the state's 271 process, which enabled a former Bell System company to provide long distance telephone service beyond its service territory. That agreement became the national model for opening other areas to competition. She also played a significant role in restoring utility services to lower-Manhattan after the Sept. 11 events, which included the enhancement of security measures for critical cyber and physical infrastructure. "We are excited to have such a fine leader as Maureen join our Board of Directors," said Dr. Roger Saillant, President and CEO of Plug Power. "Maureen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will anchor the Board's strategy relative to the regulations and infrastructure requirements of the telecommunications market." Other board positions Helmer has held include: * Chair of the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment * Vice Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Electricity Committee * Member of the New York State Cyber-Security Task Force to which she was appointed by James Kallstrom, Director of the Governor's Office of Public Safety * New York State Energy Research and Development Authority * New York State Environmental Board * National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners * New York State Disaster Preparedness Commission * U.S. Department of Energy's Electricity Advisory Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham Helmer received a J.D. from Buffalo Law School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree from the State University of Albany. She is past President and a founding board member of New York State Women in Communications and Energy. Helmer currently sits on the Foundation Board of the State University of New York at Albany, as well as the Steering Committee for the Rappleyea Lawyer in Residence Initiative at Albany Law School Government Law Center. She is a member and frequent speaker at the Harvard ElectricityPolicy Group. She is an active member of numerous state and federal bar associations. About Plug Power Plug Power Inc. designs and develops on-site energy systems based on proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Plug Power's strategic partners includeGE Fuel Cell Systems, DTE Energy Technologies, Vaillant GmbH, Honda R&D Co., Ltd., Engelhard Corporation and Celanese Ventures. The Company's headquarters are located in Latham, N.Y., with offices in Washington, D.C., and The Netherlands. This press release may contain statements, which are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements contain projections of Plug Power's future results of operations, Plug Power's product development expectations or of Plug Power's financial position or state other forward-looking information. In some cases you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will" and "would" or similar words. You should not rely on forward-looking statements because Plug Power's actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward- looking statements as a result of a number of important factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, Plug Power's ability to develop commercially viable on-site energy products; the cost and timing of developing Plug Power's on-site energy products; market acceptance of Plug Power's on-site energy products; Plug Power's reliance on its relationship with certain affiliates of General Electric (GEFCS); Plug Power's ability to perform on its multi- generation product plan in a manner satisfactory to GEFCS; Plug Power's ability to manufacture on-site energy products on a large-scale commercial basis; competitive factors, such as price competition and competition from other traditional and alternative energy companies; the cost and availability of components and parts for Plug Power's on-site energy products; the ability to raise and provide the necessary capital to develop, manufacture and market Plug Power's on-site energy products; Plug Power's ability to establish relationships with third parties with respect to product development, manufacturing, distribution and servicing and the supply of key product components; Plug Power's ability to protect its intellectual property; Plug Power's ability to lower the cost of its on-site energy products and demonstrate their reliability; the cost of complying with current and future governmental regulations; the impact of deregulation and restructuring of the electric utility industry on demand for Plug Power's on-site energy products; fluctuations in the trading price and volume of Plug Power's common stock and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Factors Affecting Future Results" in Plug Power's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002, dated March 31, 2003 and filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on March 31, 2003, and the reports Plug Power files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Plug Power does not intend to and undertakes no duty to update the information contained in this press release. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20021024/PLUGLOGODATASOURCE: Plug Power Inc. CONTACT: Cynthia Mahoney White, Manager, Public Relations & Marketing of Plug Power Inc., +1-518-782-7700, ext. 1973

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