Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Will Join Avista Board

In January

SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA) has announced the appointment of Dr. Lura Powell to the company's board of directors. Dr. Powell's appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2003. She will stand for election to the board by a vote of company shareholders at Avista's annual meeting to be held in May 2003. Dr. Powell, 52, is a senior vice president of Battelle Memorial Institute and the director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland (Tri-Cities), Wash., where she has served for nearly three years. She recently announced plans to retire from PNNL, effective at the end of this year, but she will continue to be actively involved in business and community activities as well as the non-profit boards on which she serves.

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With the addition of Dr. Powell, Avista now has 10 board members. The company is authorized to have 11 board members.

"Dr. Powell is a proven executive with extensive experience in guiding corporate strategy," said Gary G. Ely, board chairman, president and chief executive officer for Avista Corp. "Her background in strategic planning, business development and technology investment gives her a broad understanding of both business and technical issues. She will be a valuable addition to our board."

Dr. Powell's PNNL responsibilities include overseeing a $600 million research budget and nearly 4,000 staff members. The laboratory's science and technology research is conducted through four directorates -- National Security, Energy Science & Technology, Environmental Technology and Fundamental Science -- and is carried out at the lab's 2 million square-foot main campus in Richland, as well as at a marine sciences laboratory in Sequim, Wash., and in offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and Washington, D.C. During Dr. Powell's tenure at PNNL, the lab received three consecutive "Outstanding" awards from the Department of Energy.

Her experience in the management of large research and development projects includes 27 years with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Washington, D.C., before assuming leadership at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory nearly three years ago. She holds a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Maryland.

At the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Dr. Powell directed the Advanced Technology program, which focuses on innovative technologies that have the potential for commercial use. She oversaw an investment portfolio of more than $2 billion that included biotechnology, information technology, electronics, manufacturing, materials and chemistry.

Dr. Powell is an active member of the TRIDEC board of directors in the Tri-Cities and is a leader of the strategic planning effort that is aimed at setting future directions for the Tri-Cities communities. She also serves on the Washington State Business Roundtable. Dr. Powell is a member of the board of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, a board member of the Washington Technology Alliance and is a member of the board for the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties.

Dr. Powell and her husband, Art King, reside in Richland with their two teen-aged daughters.

Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is a company operating division that provides electric and natural gas service to customers in four western states. Avista's non-regulated affiliates include Avista Advantage, Avista Labs and Avista Energy. Avista Corp.'s stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA" and its Internet address is www.avistacorp.com.

NOTE:	Avista Corp. and the Avista Corp. logo are trademarks of Avista
	Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property
	of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Avista Corp.

-0- 12/16/2002

/CONTACT: Patrick Lynch, +1-509-495-4246, or pat.lynch@avistacorp.com, or investors, Angela Teed, +1-509-495-2930, or angela.teed@avistacorp.com, both of Avista Corp./

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