SPOKANE, Wash., March. 10, 2020, 2:15 p.m. PDT:  Avista is closely monitoring the developments related to COVID-19 and has taken precautions to help preserve the health and safety of the Company’s employees and other stakeholders and to minimize the spread of illness.

“We take our role as an essential service provider seriously, and as such, we have taken precautionary measures internally with a focus on employee health and safety and the continued delivery of safe and reliable electricity and natural gas to our customers,” said Dennis Vermillion, Avista president and CEO. “We have no confirmed cases among our employees and are taking a preventative approach to minimize risk and honor our company’s unique role. We are prepared to manage through this evolving situation and appreciate the support of our employees and all those we serve.”

Avista is following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and regional health organizations, and has taken a number of additional steps, out of an abundance of caution, to preserve health and safety and minimize the spread of illness, including:

• Increased sanitization efforts across Avista offices
• Activation of an internal Incident Command Team and corporate emergency response preparedness
• Postponed internal large group Avista events through the month of March
• Encouraged employees to exercise social distancing and consider appropriate public interactions
• Discouraging non-essential business travel that is not directly related to critical business operations
• Limiting non-essential visitors into Avista facilities
• Recommending employees who are able to conduct their work from home through March 27

Avista maintains appropriate staffing for all critical business functions and remains open and available to serve our customers. Personnel will continue to perform field services and respond to calls for the safe, reliable delivery of service.

While Avista’s lobbies and district offices remain open, customers are encouraged to access their accounts online using myavista.com or the Avista Mobile App to view transactions, check balances, make payments, and more.

The Company continues to monitor and will communicate any additional changes should the status of this situation shift.

About Avista Corp.
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 the operating division that provides electric service to 393,000 customers and natural gas to 361,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.7 million. Alaska Energy and Resources Company is an Avista subsidiary that provides retail electric service in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska, through its subsidiary Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. Avista stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA."  For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com.

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