UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2004

OR

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission file number 1-3701

AVISTA CORPORATION

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 509-489-0500
Web site: http://www.avistacorp.com

None

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act):

As of April 30, 2004, 48,378,373 shares of Registrant’s Common Stock, no par value (the only class of common stock), were outstanding.

AVISTA CORPORATION

Index

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Avista Corporation

For the Three Months Ended March 31
Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts

The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Statements.

3

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Avista Corporation

For the Three Months Ended March 31
Dollars in thousands

The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Statements.

4

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
Avista Corporation

Dollars in thousands

The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Statements.

5

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (continued)
Avista Corporation

Dollars in thousands

The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Statements.

6

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents
Avista Corporation

For the Three Months Ended March 31
Dollars in thousands

The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Statements.

7

SCHEDULE OF INFORMATION BY BUSINESS SEGMENTS
Avista Corporation

For the Three Months Ended March 31
Dollars in thousands

The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Statements.

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AVISTA CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Avista Corporation (Avista Corp. or the Company) for the interim periods ended March 31, 2004 and 2003 are unaudited; however, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results of operations for those interim periods. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. The Consolidated Statements of Income for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. These consolidated financial statements do not contain the detail or footnote disclosure concerning accounting policies and other matters which would be included in full fiscal year consolidated financial statements; therefore, they should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 (2003 Form 10-K).

Please refer to the section “Acronyms and Terms” in the 2003 Form 10-K for definitions of terms such as capacity, energy and therm.

NOTE 1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Business

Avista Corp. is an energy company engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp., comprising the regulated utility operations. Avista Utilities generates, transmits and distributes electricity in parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Avista Utilities also provides natural gas distribution service in parts of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, northeast and southwest Oregon and in the South Lake Tahoe region of California. Avista Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Avista Corp., is the parent company of all of the subsidiary companies in the non-utility business segments.

The Company’s operations are exposed to risks including, but not limited to, the price and supply of purchased power, fuel and natural gas, regulatory allowance of power and natural gas costs and capital investments, streamflow and weather conditions, the effects of changes in legislative and governmental regulations, changes in regulatory requirements, availability of generation facilities, competition, technology and availability of funding. Also, like other utilities, the Company’s facilities and operations may be exposed to terrorism risks or other malicious acts. In addition, the energy business exposes the Company to the financial, liquidity, credit and commodity price risks associated with wholesale purchases and sales.

Basis of Reporting

The consolidated financial statements include the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the Company and its subsidiaries. The accompanying financial statements include the Company’s proportionate share of utility plant and related operations resulting from its interests in jointly owned plants.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements. Significant estimates include determining unbilled revenues, the market value of energy commodity assets and liabilities, pension and other postretirement benefit plan liabilities, and contingent liabilities. Changes in these estimates and assumptions are considered reasonably possible and may have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements and thus actual results could differ from the amounts reported and disclosed herein.

Business Segments

Financial information for each of the Company’s business segments is reported in the Schedule of Information by Business Segments. Such information is an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. The business segment presentation reflects the basis currently used by the Company’s management to analyze performance and determine the allocation of resources. Avista Utilities’ business is managed based on the total regulated utility operation. The Energy Marketing and Resource Management business segment primarily consists of electricity and natural gas marketing, trading and resource management including optimization of energy assets owned by other entities and derivative commodity instruments such as futures, options, swaps and other contractual arrangements.

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Avista Advantage is a provider of utility bill processing, payment and information services to multi-site customers throughout North America. The Other business segment includes other investments and operations of various subsidiaries as well as certain other operations of Avista Capital.

Avista Utilities Operating Revenues

Operating revenues for Avista Utilities related to the sale of energy are generally recorded when service is rendered or energy is delivered to customers. The determination of the energy sales to individual customers is based on the reading of their meters, which occurs on a systematic basis throughout the month. At the end of each calendar month, the amount of energy delivered to customers since the date of the last meter reading is estimated and the corresponding unbilled revenue is estimated and recorded.

Avista Energy Operating Revenues

Avista Energy follows Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities,” as amended by SFAS No. 138 and SFAS No. 149, with respect to the majority of its contracts. Avista Energy reports the net margin on derivative commodity instruments held for trading as operating revenues. Revenues from contracts that are not accounted for as derivatives under SFAS No. 133, as well as derivative commodity instruments not held for trading, are reported on a gross basis in operating revenues.

Avista Energy accounted for energy commodity trading activities in compliance with Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 98-10, “Accounting for Contracts Involved in Energy Trading and Risk Management Activities” through December 31, 2002 for contracts entered into on or prior to October 25, 2002. During the three months ended March 31, 2003, Avista Energy recorded as a cumulative effect of accounting change a charge of $1.2 million (net of tax) related to EITF Issue No. 02-3, “Issues Involved in Accounting for Derivative Contracts Held for Trading Purposes and Contracts Involved in Energy Trading and Risk Management Activities,” which effectively required the transition of accounting for energy trading activities from EITF Issue No. 98-10 to SFAS No. 133.

Other Income-Net

Other income-net consisted of the following items for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company follows the disclosure only provisions of SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.” Accordingly, employee stock options are accounted for under Accounting Principle Board Opinion (APB) No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees.” Stock options are granted at exercise prices not less than the fair value of common stock on the date of grant. Under APB No. 25, no compensation expense is recognized pursuant to the Company’s stock option plans. If compensation expense for the Company’s stock option plans were determined consistent with SFAS No. 123, net income and earnings per common share would have been the following pro forma amounts for the three months ended March 31:

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Restricted Cash

Restricted cash includes bank deposits of $20.5 million and $15.0 million as collateral for letters of credit issued under Avista Energy’s credit agreement as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively. See Note 10 for further information with respect to Avista Energy’s credit agreement. Restricted cash also includes deposits held in trust of $1.6 million and $1.5 million for certain employees of Avista Energy as part of a bonus retention plan as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.

Depreciation

For utility operations, depreciation expense is estimated by a method of depreciation accounting utilizing unit rates for hydroelectric plants and composite rates for other utility plant. Such rates are designed to provide for retirements of properties at the expiration of their service lives.

The Company recovers certain utility plant retirement costs through rates charged to customers as a portion of its depreciation expense. During the three months ended March 31, 2004, the Company changed its estimate of utility plant retirement costs that are included as a component of depreciation expense, which resulted in a decrease in the regulatory liability for utility plant retirement costs and an increase in accumulated depreciation. The Company had estimated retirement costs of $170.5 million and $167.1 million included as a regulatory liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively. These costs do not represent legal or contractual obligations.

Goodwill

Goodwill arising from acquisitions represents the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of net assets acquired. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment using a discounted cash flow model on at least an annual basis or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. The Company completed its annual evaluation of goodwill for potential impairment during the three months ended March 31, 2004 and determined that goodwill was not impaired. Goodwill is included in non-utility properties and investments-net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and totaled $7.5 million ($6.6 million in the Other business segment and $0.9 million in Energy Marketing and Resource Management) as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003. The level of goodwill as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003 was supported by the value attributed to the operations acquired.

Regulatory Deferred Charges and Credits

The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with the provisions of SFAS No. 71, “Accounting for the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation.” The Company prepares its financial statements in accordance with SFAS No. 71 because (i) the Company’s rates for regulated services are established by or subject to approval by an independent third-party regulator; (ii) the regulated rates are designed to recover the Company’s cost of providing the regulated services; and (iii) in view of demand for the regulated services and the level of competition, it is reasonable to assume that rates can be charged to and collected from customers at levels that will recover the Company’s costs. SFAS No. 71 requires the Company to reflect the impact of regulatory decisions in its financial statements. SFAS No. 71 requires that certain costs and/or obligations (such as incurred power and natural gas costs not currently recovered through rates, but expected to be recovered in the future) are reflected as deferred charges on the balance sheet. These costs and/or obligations are not reflected in the statement of income until the period during which matching revenues are recognized. If at some point in the future the Company determines that it no longer meets the criteria for continued application of SFAS No. 71 with respect to all or a portion of the Company’s regulated operations, the Company could be required to write off its regulatory assets. The Company could also be precluded from the future deferral of costs not recovered through rates at the time such costs were incurred, even if the Company expected to recover such costs in the future.

The Company’s primary regulatory assets include power and natural gas deferrals (see “Power Cost Deferrals and Recovery Mechanisms” and “Natural Gas Cost Deferrals and Recovery Mechanisms” below for further information), investment in exchange power, regulatory assets for deferred income taxes, unamortized debt expense, regulatory asset for consolidation of variable interest entity (see Note 2 for further information), demand side management programs, conservation programs and the provision for postretirement benefits. Those items without a specific line on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are included in other regulatory assets.

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Other regulatory assets consisted of the following as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003 (dollars in thousands):

Regulatory liabilities include utility plant retirement costs. Deferred credits include, among other items, regulatory liabilities created when the Centralia Power Plant (Centralia) was sold, regulatory liabilities offsetting net energy commodity derivative assets (see Note 5 for further information) and the gain on the general office building sale/leaseback, which is being amortized over the life of the lease, and are included on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as other non-current liabilities and deferred credits.

Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC), Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) and Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) approved Avista Utilities’ Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism in 1999. The mechanism eliminated the majority of natural gas procurement operations within Avista Utilities and placed responsibility for natural gas procurement operations with Avista Energy, the Company’s non-regulated subsidiary. The ownership of the natural gas assets remains with Avista Utilities; however, the assets are managed by Avista Energy through an Agency Agreement. Avista Utilities has continued to manage natural gas procurement for its California operations, which currently represents approximately four percent of its total natural gas therm sales.

The Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism provides benefits to retail customers and allows Avista Energy to retain a portion of the benefits associated with asset optimization and the efficiencies gained in purchasing natural gas for Avista Utilities as part of a larger portfolio. In the first quarter of 2002, the IPUC and the OPUC approved the continuation of the Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism and related Agency Agreement through March 31, 2005. In January 2003, the WUTC approved the continuation of the Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism and related Agency Agreement through January 29, 2004. In February 2004, the WUTC ordered that the Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism and related Agency Agreement be terminated for Washington customers and ordered Avista Utilities to file a transition plan to move management of these functions back into Avista Utilities. In April 2004, the WUTC approved Avista Utilities’ transition plan, which provides for the movement of these functions back into Avista Utilities to be completed by March 31, 2005. The Company is also planning to move these functions from Avista Energy to Avista Utilities for Idaho and Oregon natural gas customers with the expiration of the current agreements on March 31, 2005.

In accordance with SFAS No. 71, profits recognized by Avista Energy on natural gas sales to Avista Utilities, including gains and losses on natural gas contracts, are not eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. This is due to the fact that Avista Utilities expects to recover the costs of natural gas purchases to serve retail customers and for fuel for electric generation through future retail rates.

Power Cost Deferrals and Recovery Mechanisms

Avista Utilities defers the recognition in the income statement of certain power supply costs as approved by the WUTC. Deferred power supply costs are recorded as a deferred charge on the balance sheet for future review and the opportunity for recovery through retail rates. The power supply costs deferred include certain differences between actual power supply costs incurred by Avista Utilities and the costs included in base retail rates. This difference in power supply costs primarily results from changes in short-term wholesale market prices, changes in the level of hydroelectric generation and changes in the level of thermal generation (including changes in fuel prices). Avista Utilities accrues interest on deferred power costs in the Washington jurisdiction at a rate, which is adjusted semi-annually, of 8.5 percent as of March 31, 2004. Total deferred power costs for Washington customers were $116.5 million and $125.7 million as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.

The WUTC issued an order that became effective July 1, 2002 for restructuring of rate increases previously approved by the WUTC totaling 31.2 percent. The July 2002 rate change increased base retail rates 19.3 percent and provided an 11.9 percent continuing surcharge for the recovery of deferred power costs. The WUTC rate order

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also established an Energy Recovery Mechanism (ERM) effective July 1, 2002. The ERM replaced a series of temporary deferral mechanisms that had been in place in Washington since mid-2000. The ERM allows Avista Utilities to increase or decrease electric rates periodically with WUTC approval to reflect changes in power supply costs. The ERM provides for Avista Utilities to incur the cost of, or receive the benefit from, the first $9.0 million in annual power supply costs above or below the amount included in base retail rates. Under the ERM, 90 percent of annual power supply costs exceeding or below the initial $9.0 million are deferred for future surcharge or rebate to Avista Utilities’ customers. The remaining 10 percent of power supply costs are an expense of, or benefit to, the Company.

Under the ERM, Avista Utilities makes an annual filing to provide the opportunity for the WUTC and other interested parties to review the prudence of and audit the ERM deferred power cost transactions for the prior calendar year. The settlement agreement establishing the ERM provides for a 90-day review period for the filing; however, the period may be extended by agreement of the parties or by WUTC order. Avista Utilities made its annual filing with the WUTC on April 1, 2004 related to $22.8 million of deferred power costs incurred for 2003.

Avista Utilities has a power cost adjustment (PCA) mechanism in Idaho that allows it to modify electric rates periodically with IPUC approval. Under the PCA mechanism, Avista Utilities defers 90 percent of the difference between certain actual net power supply expenses and the authorized level of net power supply expenses approved in the last Idaho general rate case. Avista Utilities accrues interest on deferred power costs in the Idaho jurisdiction at a rate, which is adjusted annually, of 1.0 percent on current year deferrals and 3.0 percent on carryover balances as of March 31, 2004. The IPUC originally approved a 19.4 percent surcharge in October 2001, which has been extended through October 2004 for recovery of previously deferred power costs. Based on IPUC staff recommendations and IPUC orders, the prudence of $11.9 million of deferred power costs will be reviewed in the electric general rate case that Avista Utilities filed in February 2004. Total deferred power costs for Idaho customers were $28.5 million and $30.3 million as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.

Natural Gas Cost Deferrals and Recovery Mechanisms

Under established regulatory practices in each respective state, Avista Utilities is allowed to adjust its natural gas rates periodically (with regulatory approval) to reflect increases or decreases in the cost of natural gas purchased. Differences between actual natural gas costs and the natural gas costs already included in retail rates are deferred and charged or credited to expense when regulators approve inclusion of the cost changes in rates. Total deferred natural gas costs were $20.8 million and $15.4 million as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.

Intersegment Eliminations

Intersegment eliminations represent the transactions between Avista Utilities and Avista Energy for energy commodities and services, primarily natural gas purchased by Avista Utilities under the Agency Agreement.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts were reclassified to conform to current statement format. These reclassifications were made for comparative purposes and to conform to changes in accounting standards and have not affected previously reported total net income or stockholders’ equity.

NOTE 2. NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

In May 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity.” This statement requires the Company to classify certain financial instruments as liabilities that have historically been classified as equity. This statement requires the Company to classify as a liability financial instruments that are subject to mandatory redemption at a specified or determinable date or upon an event that is certain to occur. This statement was effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003, and otherwise was effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. The restatement of financial statements for prior periods was not permitted. The adoption of this statement required the Company to classify $31.5 million of preferred stock subject to mandatory redemption as liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The adoption of this statement also required the Company to classify preferred stock dividends subsequent to July 1, 2003 as interest expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

In December 2003, the FASB issued SFAS No. 132 (revised 2003), “Employers’ Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits.” This statement requires expanded disclosures with respect to pension plan assets, benefit obligations, cash flows, benefit costs and other relevant information. However, this statement does not

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change the measurement and recognition provisions of previous FASB statements related to pensions and other postretirement benefits. The Company was required to adopt this statement as of December 31, 2003. The adoption of this statement did not have any effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. The expanded disclosures required by this statement are included in Note 7.

In July 2003, the EITF reached consensus on Issue No. 03-11, “Reporting Realized Gains and Losses on Derivative Instruments That Are Subject to FASB Statement No. 133 and Not Held for Trading Purposes as Defined in EITF Issue No. 02-3.” This EITF Issue requires that revenues and resource costs from Avista Utilities’ settled energy contracts that are “booked out” (not physically delivered) should be reported on a net basis as part of operating revenues effective October 1, 2003. Derivatives not held for trading purposes at Avista Energy are reported gross, unless they are “booked out” or the economic substance indicates that net reporting is appropriate. The adoption of this EITF Issue resulted in a reduction in operating revenues and resource costs of approximately $2.7 million for 2004 as compared to 2003 for Avista Utilities.

In January 2003, the FASB issued Interpretation No. 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities,” which was revised in December 2003 (collectively referred to as FIN 46). In general, a variable interest entity does not have equity investors with voting rights or it has equity investors that do not provide sufficient financial resources for the entity to support its activities. Variable interest entities are commonly referred to as special purpose entities or off-balance sheet structures; however, FIN 46 applies to a broader group of entities. FIN 46 requires a variable interest entity to be consolidated by the primary beneficiary of that entity. The primary beneficiary is subject to a majority of the risk of loss from the variable interest entity’s activities or it is entitled to receive a majority of the entity’s residual returns. FIN 46 also requires disclosure of variable interest entities that a company is not required to consolidate but in which it has a significant variable interest. The consolidation requirements of FIN 46 applied immediately to variable interest entities created after January 31, 2003 and applied to certain existing variable interest entities for the first fiscal year or interim period ending after December 15, 2003. Application for all other types of entities was required for periods ending after March 15, 2004.

FIN 46 required the Company to consolidate WP Funding LP effective for the period ended December 31, 2003. WP Funding LP is an entity that was formed in 1993 for the purpose of acquiring the natural gas-fired combustion turbine generating facility in Rathdrum, Idaho (Rathdrum CT). WP Funding LP purchased the Rathdrum CT from the Company with funds provided by unrelated investors of which 97 percent represented debt and 3 percent represented equity. The Company operates the Rathdrum CT and leases it from WP Funding LP. The total amount of WP Funding LP debt outstanding was $54.6 million as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003. The lease term expires in February 2020; however, the current debt matures in October 2005 and will need to be refinanced at that time. As of March 31, 2004, the book value of the debt and equity of WP Funding LP exceeded the book value of the Rathdrum CT by $17.3 million. In accordance with regulatory accounting practices, the Company recorded this amount as a regulatory asset upon the consolidation of WP Funding LP. The addition of the Rathdrum CT, which entered commercial operation in 1995, to Avista Utilities’ generation resource base was reviewed in previous state regulatory filings with the WUTC and IPUC.

FIN 46 also resulted in the Company no longer including Avista Capital I and Avista Capital II in its consolidated financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2003. Avista Capital I and Avista Capital II are business trusts formed in 1997 for the purpose of issuing a combined $110.0 million of preferred trust securities to third parties and $3.4 million of common trust securities to Avista Corp. The sole assets of Avista Capital I and Avista Capital II are $113.4 million of junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures of Avista Corp. Avista Capital I and Avista Capital II are considered variable interest entities under the provisions of FIN 46. As Avista Corp. is not the primary beneficiary, these entities are no longer included in Avista Corp.’s consolidated financial statements. Interest expense to affiliated trusts of $1.5 million in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2004 represents interest expense on the $113.4 million of long-term debt to affiliated trusts for the first quarter of 2004.

Additionally, the implementation of FIN 46, as revised in December 2003, resulted in the Company including a partnership as well as several low-income housing project investments held in the Other business segment in its consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2004. This resulted in an increase in assets of $7.1 million, long-term debt of $5.4 million and a charge of $0.5 million recorded as a cumulative effect of accounting change for the three months ended March 31, 2004.

The Company has evaluated Avista Energy’s contracts and relationship with Rathdrum Power, LLC (RP LLC), an entity that is 49 percent owned by Avista Power, and determined that RP LLC should not be consolidated pursuant to

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FIN 46. RP LLC operates a 270 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle combustion turbine plant in northern Idaho (Lancaster Project). All of the output from the Lancaster Project is contracted to Avista Energy through 2026 under a Power Purchase Agreement. As of March 31, 2004, RP LLC had $117.2 million of debt outstanding that is not included in the consolidated financial statements of the Company. There is no recourse to the Company with respect to this debt.

The adoption of SFAS No. 150 and FIN 46 does not cause the Company to fail to meet any of the covenants of the Company’s $245.0 million committed line of credit, including covenants not to permit the ratio of “consolidated total debt” to “consolidated total capitalization” of Avista Corp. to be greater than 65 percent at the end of any fiscal quarter as the covenant calculations exclude the effect of changes in accounting standards.

NOTE 3. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

In 2003, total investments of $12.2 million were made by private equity investors in a new entity, ReliOn, Inc. (formerly AVLB, Inc.), which acquired the assets previously held by Avista Corp.’s fuel cell manufacturing and development subsidiary, Avista Labs. As of March 31, 2004, Avista Corp., through Avista Labs, had an ownership interest of approximately 17.5 percent in ReliOn, Inc., with the opportunity but no further obligation to fund or invest in this business. Avista Corp.’s investment in ReliOn, Inc. is accounted for under the cost method.

NOTE 4. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SALE

In 1997, Avista Receivables Corp. (ARC) was formed as a wholly owned, bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of the Company for the purpose of acquiring or purchasing interests in certain accounts receivable, both billed and unbilled, of the Company. On May 29, 2002, ARC, the Company and a third-party financial institution entered into a three-year agreement whereby ARC can sell without recourse, on a revolving basis, up to $100.0 million of those receivables. In April 2004, the revolving amount available for sale was reduced to $85.0 million. ARC is obligated to pay fees that approximate the purchaser’s cost of issuing commercial paper equal in value to the interests in receivables sold. On a consolidated basis, the amount of such fees is included in operating expenses of the Company. As of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, $68.0 million and $72.0 million, respectively, in accounts receivables were sold under this revolving agreement.

NOTE 5. UTILITY ENERGY COMMODITY DERIVATIVE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

SFAS No. 133, as amended by SFAS No. 138 and SFAS No. 149, establishes accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, and for hedging activities. It requires the recording of all derivatives as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet measured at estimated fair value and the recognition of the unrealized gains and losses. In certain defined conditions, a derivative may be specifically designated as a hedge for a particular exposure. The accounting for derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivatives and the resulting designation.

Avista Utilities enters into forward contracts to purchase or sell energy. Under these forward contracts, Avista Utilities commits to purchase or sell a specified amount of energy at a specified time, or during a specified period, in the future. Certain of these forward contracts are considered derivative instruments. Avista Utilities also records derivative commodity assets and liabilities for over-the-counter and exchange-traded derivative instruments as well as certain long-term contracts. These contracts are entered into as part of Avista Utilities’ management of its loads and resources as discussed in Note 6. In conjunction with the issuance of SFAS No. 133, the WUTC and the IPUC issued accounting orders authorizing Avista Utilities to offset any derivative assets or liabilities with a regulatory asset or liability. This accounting treatment is intended to defer the recognition of mark-to-market gains and losses on energy commodity transactions until the period of settlement. The order provides for Avista Utilities to not recognize the unrealized gain or loss on utility derivative commodity instruments in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Realized gains or losses are recognized in the period of settlement subject to current or future recovery in retail rates. Realized gains and losses are reflected as adjustments through purchased gas cost adjustments, the ERM and the PCA mechanism.

Prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 149 on July 1, 2003, Avista Utilities elected the normal purchases and sales exception for substantially all of its contracts for both capacity and energy under SFAS No. 133. As such, Avista Utilities was not required to record these contracts as derivative commodity assets and liabilities. Under SFAS No. 149, substantially all new forward contracts to purchase or sell power and natural gas used for generation, which were entered into on or after July 1, 2003, are recorded as assets or liabilities at market value with an offsetting

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regulatory asset or liability. Contracts that are not considered derivatives under SFAS No. 133 are generally accounted for at cost until they are settled or realized, unless there is a decline in the fair value of the contract that is determined to be other than temporary.

As of March 31, 2004, the utility derivative commodity asset balance was $46.8 million, the derivative commodity liability balance was $33.9 million and the offsetting net regulatory liability was $12.9 million. As of December 31, 2003, the utility derivative commodity asset balance was $39.5 million, the derivative commodity liability balance was $36.1 million and the offsetting net regulatory liability was $3.4 million. Utility derivative assets and liabilities, as well as the offsetting net regulatory asset or liability, can change significantly from period to period due to the settlement of contracts, the entering of new contracts and changes in commodity prices. The offsetting net regulatory liability is included in other non-current liabilities and deferred credits on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

NOTE 6. ENERGY COMMODITY TRADING

The Company’s energy-related businesses are exposed to risks relating to, but not limited to, changes in certain commodity prices, interest rates, foreign currency and counterparty performance. In order to manage the various risks relating to these exposures, Avista Utilities utilizes derivative instruments, such as forwards, futures, swaps and options, and Avista Energy engages in the trading of such instruments. Avista Utilities and Avista Energy use a variety of techniques to manage risks for their energy resources and wholesale energy market activities. The Company has risk management policies and procedures to manage these risks, both qualitative and quantitative, for Avista Utilities and Avista Energy. The Company’s Risk Management Committee, which is separate from the units tasked with managing this risk exposure and is overseen by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, monitors compliance with the Company’s risk management policies and procedures.

Avista Utilities

Avista Utilities engages in an ongoing process of resource optimization, which involves the pursuit of economic resources to serve load obligations and using existing resources to capture available economic value. Avista Utilities sells and purchases wholesale electric capacity and energy to and from utilities and other entities as part of the process of acquiring resources to serve its retail and wholesale load obligations. These transactions range from a term as short as one hour up to long-term contracts that extend beyond one year. Avista Utilities makes continuing projections of (1) future retail and wholesale loads based on, among other things, forward estimates of factors such as customer usage and weather as well as historical data and contract terms and (2) resource availability based on, among other things, estimates of streamflows, generating unit availability, historic and forward market information and experience. On the basis of these continuing projections, Avista Utilities makes purchases and sales of energy on an annual, quarterly, monthly, daily and hourly basis to match expected resources to expected energy requirements. Resource optimization also includes transactions such as purchasing fuel to run thermal generation and, when economic, selling fuel and substituting electric wholesale market purchases for the operation of Avista Utilities’ own resources, as well as other wholesale transactions to capture the value of available generation and transmission resources. This optimization process includes entering into financial and physical hedging transactions as a means of managing risks.

Avista Utilities manages the impact of fluctuations in electric energy prices by establishing volume limits for the imbalance between projected loads and resources and through the use of derivative commodity instruments for hedging purposes. Any load/resource imbalances within a rolling 18-month planning horizon are managed within risk policy volumetric limits. Management also assesses available resource decisions and actions that are appropriate for longer-term planning periods. Avista Energy is responsible for the daily management of natural gas supplies to meet the requirements of Avista Utilities’ customers in the states of Washington, Idaho and Oregon. In February 2004, the WUTC ordered that these functions be moved back to Avista Utilities for Washington customers, and in April 2004, the WUTC approved Avista Utilities’ transition plan to move these functions back into Avista Utilities by March 31, 2005. Avista Utilities is also planning to move these functions for Idaho and Oregon customers with the expiration of current agreements on March 31, 2005. See description of Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism in Note 1 for further information. Avista Utilities has continued to manage natural gas procurement for its California operations, which currently represents approximately four percent of its total natural gas therm sales.

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Avista Energy

Avista Energy is an electricity and natural gas marketing, trading and resource management business. Avista Energy focuses on optimization of combustion turbines and hydroelectric assets owned by other entities, long-term electric supply contracts, natural gas storage, and electric transmission and natural gas transportation arrangements. Avista Energy is also involved in trading electricity and natural gas, including derivative commodity instruments. Avista Energy purchases natural gas and electricity from producers and energy marketing and trading companies. Its customers include commercial and industrial end-users, electric utilities, natural gas distribution companies, and energy marketing and trading companies.

Avista Energy’s marketing and energy risk management services are provided through the use of a variety of derivative commodity contracts to purchase or supply natural gas and electric energy at specified delivery points and at specified future dates. Avista Energy trades natural gas and electricity derivative commodity instruments on national exchanges and through other exchanges and brokers, and therefore can experience net open positions in terms of price, volume, and specified delivery point. The open positions expose Avista Energy to the risk that fluctuating market prices may adversely impact its financial condition or results of operations. However, the net open positions are actively managed with strict policies designed to limit the exposure to market risk and requiring daily reporting to management of potential financial exposure.

Avista Energy measures the risk in its electric and natural gas portfolio daily utilizing a Value-at-Risk (VAR) model, which monitors its risk in comparison to established thresholds. VAR measures the expected portfolio loss under hypothetical adverse price movements over a given time interval within a given confidence level. Avista Energy also measures its open positions in terms of volumes at each delivery location for each forward time period. The extent of open positions is included in the risk management policy and is measured with stress tests and VAR modeling.

Derivative commodity instruments sold and purchased by Avista Energy include: forward contracts, which involve physical delivery of an energy commodity; futures contracts, which involve the buying or selling of natural gas or electricity at a fixed price; over-the-counter swap agreements, which require Avista Energy to receive or make payments based on the difference between a specified price and the actual price of the underlying commodity; and options, which mitigate price risk by providing for the right, but not the requirement, to buy or sell energy-related commodities at a fixed price. Foreign currency risks are primarily related to Canadian exchange rates and are managed using standard instruments available in the foreign currency markets.

Avista Energy’s derivative commodity instruments accounted for under SFAS No. 133 are subject to mark-to-market accounting, under which changes in the market value of outstanding electric, natural gas and related derivative commodity instruments are recognized as unrealized gains or losses in the period of change. Market prices are utilized in determining the value of the electric, natural gas and related derivative commodity instruments. For electric derivative commodity instruments, these market prices are generally available through two years. For natural gas derivative commodity instruments, these market prices are generally available through three years. For longer-term positions and certain short-term positions for which market prices are not available, a model to estimate forward price curves is utilized. Avista Energy reports the net margin on derivative commodity instruments held for trading as operating revenues. Revenues from contracts, which are not accounted for as derivatives under SFAS No. 133 and derivative commodity instruments not held for trading, are reported on a gross basis in operating revenues. Costs from contracts, which are not accounted for as derivatives under SFAS No. 133 and derivative instruments not held for trading, are reported on a gross basis in resource costs. Contracts in a receivable position, as well as the options held, are reported as assets. Similarly, contracts in a payable position, as well as options written, are reported as liabilities. Net cash flows are recognized in the period of settlement.

Avista Energy implemented hedge accounting in accordance with SFAS No. 133 during the third quarter of 2003. Specific natural gas and electric trading derivative contracts have been designated as hedging instruments in cash flow hedging relationships. The hedge strategies represent cash flow hedges of the variable price risk associated with expected purchases of natural gas and sales of electricity. These designated hedging instruments represent hedges of variable price exposures generated from certain contracts, which do not qualify as derivatives under SFAS No. 133. For all derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, Avista Energy documents the relationship between the hedging instrument and the hedged item (forecasted purchases and sales of power and natural gas), as well as the risk management objective and strategy for using the hedging instrument. Avista Energy assesses whether a change in the value of the designated derivative is highly effective in achieving offsetting cash flows attributable to the hedged item, both at the inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis. Any changes in the fair value of the designated derivative that are effective are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, while changes in fair

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value that are not effective are recognized currently in earnings as operating revenues. Amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss are recognized in earnings during the period that the hedged items are recognized in earnings.

During the three months ended March 31, 2004, a gain of $0.4 million related to hedge ineffectiveness was recorded in earnings as operating revenues. As of March 31, 2004, there was a gain of $0.5 million (net of tax) in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to designated cash flow hedges, while a gain of $0.1 million (net of tax) was reclassified from accumulated comprehensive income (loss) and recognized in earnings during the three months ended March 31, 2004. Of the amount in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of March 31, 2004, Avista Energy expects to recognize a loss of $0.4 million in earnings during the next 12 months. The actual amounts that will be recognized in earnings during the next 12 months will vary from the expected amounts as a result of changes in market prices. The maximum term of the designated hedging instruments was 33 months.

Contract Amounts and Terms Under Avista Energy’s derivative instruments, Avista Energy either (i) as “fixed price payor,” is obligated to pay a fixed price or a fixed amount and is entitled to receive the commodity or a fixed amount or (ii) as “fixed price receiver,” is entitled to receive a fixed price or a fixed amount and is obligated to deliver the commodity or pay a fixed amount or (iii) as “index price payor,” is obligated to pay an indexed price or an indexed amount and is entitled to receive the commodity or a variable amount or (iv) as “index price receiver,” is entitled to receive an indexed price or amount and is obligated to deliver the commodity or pay a variable amount.

The contract or notional amounts and terms of Avista Energy’s derivative commodity instruments outstanding as of March 31, 2004 are set forth below (in thousands of mmBTUs and MWhs):

The weighted average term of Avista Energy’s electric derivative commodity instruments as of March 31, 2004 was approximately 8 months. The weighted average term of Avista Energy’s natural gas derivative commodity instruments as of March 31, 2004 was approximately 5 months.

Estimated Fair Value The estimated fair value of Avista Energy’s derivative commodity instruments outstanding as of March 31, 2004, and the average estimated fair value of those instruments held during the three months ended March 31, 2004, are set forth below (dollars in thousands):

The change in the estimated fair value position of Avista Energy’s energy commodity portfolio, net of reserves for credit and market risk for three months ended March 31, 2004 was an unrealized gain of $6.6 million and is included in the Consolidated Statements of Income in operating revenues. The change in the fair value position for the three months ended March 31, 2003 was an unrealized gain of $12.4 million.

NOTE 7. PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS

The Company has a defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all of its regular full-time employees. Employees of Avista Energy also participate in this plan. Individual benefits under this plan are based upon years of service and the employee’s average compensation as specified in the plan. The Company’s funding policy is to contribute amounts that are not less than the minimum amounts required to be funded under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, nor more than the maximum amounts that are currently deductible for income tax purposes. The Company made $12 million in cash contributions to the pension plan in 2003. The Company expects

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to contribute approximately $15 million to the pension plan in 2004 ($3.75 million was contributed during the three months ended March 31, 2004).

The Company provides certain health care and life insurance benefits for substantially all of its retired employees. The Company accrues the estimated cost of postretirement benefit obligations during the years that employees provide services.

The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for its pension and postretirement plans. The following table sets forth the components of net periodic benefit costs for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

NOTE 8. LONG-TERM DEBT

The following details the interest rate and maturity dates of long-term debt outstanding as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003 (dollars in thousands):

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NOTE 9. LONG-TERM DEBT TO AFFILIATED TRUSTS

In April 2004, the Company issued Junior Subordinated Debt Securities, with a principal amount of $61.9 million to AVA Capital Trust III, a business trust. Concurrently, AVA Capital Trust III issued $60.0 million of Preferred Trust Securities to third parties and $1.9 million of Common Trust Securities to the Company. All of these securities have a fixed interest rate of 6.50 percent for five years (through March 31, 2009). Subsequent to the initial five-year fixed rate period, the securities will either have a new fixed rate or an adjustable rate. These debt securities may be redeemed by the Company on or after March 31, 2009 and will mature on April 1, 2034.

The Company used the proceeds from the Junior Subordinated Debt Securities to redeem $61.9 million of 7.875 percent Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures, Series A, originally issued in 1997 to Avista Capital I, a business trust. Avista Capital I used these proceeds to redeem $60.0 million of Preferred Trust Securities issued to third parties and $1.9 million of Common Trust Securities issued to the Company.

In 1997, the Company issued Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures, Series B, with a principal amount of $51.5 million to Avista Capital II, a business trust. Avista Capital II issued $50.0 million of Preferred Trust Securities with a floating distribution rate of LIBOR plus 0.875 percent, calculated and reset quarterly. Concurrent with the issuance of the Preferred Trust Securities, Avista Capital II issued $1.5 million of Common Trust Securities to the Company. These debt securities may be redeemed at the option of Avista Capital II on or after June 1, 2007 and mature on June 1, 2037; however, this is limited by an agreement under the Company’s 9.75 percent Senior Notes that mature in 2008. In December 2000, the Company purchased $10.0 million of these Preferred Trust Securities.

The Company has guaranteed the payment of distributions on, and redemption price and liquidation amount with respect to, the Preferred Trust Securities to the extent that AVA Capital Trust III and Avista Capital II have funds available for such payments from the respective debt securities. Upon maturity or prior redemption of such debt securities, the Preferred Trust Securities will be mandatorily redeemed. As discussed in Note 2, FIN 46 results in the Company no longer including these capital trusts in its consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2003.

NOTE 10. SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS

As of March 31, 2004, the Company maintained a committed line of credit with various banks in the amount of $245.0 million with an expiration date of May 11, 2004. As of March 31, 2004, the Company could request the issuance of up to $75.0 million in letters of credit under the committed line of credit. As of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, the Company had $55.0 million and $80.0 million, respectively, of borrowings outstanding under this committed line of credit. As of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, there were $8.4 million and $10.7 million in letters of credit outstanding, respectively. As of March 31, 2004, the committed line of credit was secured by $245.0 million of non-transferable first mortgage bonds of the Company issued to the agent bank. Such first mortgage bonds would only become due and payable in the event, and then only to the extent, that the Company defaults on its obligations under the committed line of credit.

The committed line of credit agreement contains customary covenants and default provisions, including covenants not to permit the ratio of “consolidated total debt” (not including preferred stock, long-term debt to affiliated trusts, WP Funding LP debt or other long-term debt included in the consolidated financial statements as a result of the implementation of FIN 46) to “consolidated total capitalization” of Avista Corp. to be greater than 65 percent at the end of any fiscal quarter. As of March 31, 2004, the Company was in compliance with this covenant with a ratio of 52.5 percent. The committed line of credit also has a covenant requiring the ratio of “earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization” to “interest expense” of Avista Utilities for the twelve-month period ending March 31, 2004 to be greater than 1.6 to 1. As of March 31, 2004, the Company was in compliance with this covenant with a ratio of 2.3 to 1.

On May 6, 2004, the Company’s committed line of credit was amended to increase the available amount to $350.0 million (secured by non-transferable first mortgage bonds) and extend the expiration date to May 5, 2005. The amount available for the issuance of letters of credit was increased to $125.0 million. The increase in the committed line of credit is necessary due to seasonal credit requirements anticipated as natural gas procurement functions are moved from Avista Energy to Avista Utilities. Also, the covenant requirement for the ratio of “consolidated total debt” to “consolidated total capitalization” was increased to 70 percent and includes all debt.

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On July 25, 2003, Avista Energy and its subsidiary, Avista Energy Canada, Ltd., as co-borrowers, entered into a committed credit agreement with a group of banks in the aggregate amount of $110.0 million expiring July 23, 2004. This committed credit facility provides for the issuance of letters of credit to secure contractual obligations to counterparties. This facility is guaranteed by Avista Capital and secured by Avista Energy’s assets. The maximum amount of credit extended by the banks for the issuance of letters of credit is the subscribed amount of the facility less the amount of outstanding cash advances, if any. The maximum amount of credit extended by the banks for cash advances is $30.0 million. No cash advances were outstanding as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003. Letters of credit in the aggregate amount of $20.5 million and $15.0 million were outstanding as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively. The cash deposits of Avista Energy at the respective banks collateralize these letters of credit, which is reflected as restricted cash on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

The Avista Energy credit agreement contains customary covenants and default provisions, including covenants to maintain “minimum net working capital” and “minimum net worth,” as well as a covenant limiting the amount of indebtedness that the co-borrowers may incur. The credit agreement also contains covenants and other restrictions related to Avista Energy’s trading limits and positions, including VAR limits, restrictions with respect to changes in risk management policies or volumetric limits, and limits on exposure related to hourly and daily trading of electricity. Also, a reduction in the credit rating of Avista Corp. would represent an event of default under Avista Energy’s credit agreement. These covenants, certain counterparty agreements and current market liquidity conditions result in Avista Energy maintaining certain levels of cash and therefore effectively limit the amount of cash dividends that are available for distribution to Avista Capital and ultimately to Avista Corp. Avista Energy was in compliance with the covenants of its credit agreement as of March 31, 2004.

Avista Energy is currently negotiating a renewal of its credit facility and anticipates it will be in place by the July 23, 2004 expiration date of the current credit agreement.

NOTE 11. INTEREST RATE SWAP AGREEMENTS

RP LLC has entered into two interest rate swap agreements, maturing in 2006, to manage the risk that changes in interest rates may affect the amount of future interest payments. RP LLC agreed to pay fixed rates of interest with the differential paid or received under the interest rate swap agreements recognized as an adjustment to interest expense. These interest rate swap agreements are considered hedges against fluctuations in future cash flows associated with changes in interest rates in accordance with SFAS No. 133. The fair value of the interest rate swap agreements was determined by reference to market values obtained from various third party sources. Avista Power’s 49 percent ownership interest in RP LLC is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. As of March 31, 2004, there was an unrealized loss of $1.0 million included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

NOTE 12. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

The following table presents the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share for the three months ended March 31 (in thousands, except per share amounts):

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NOTE 13. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company believes, based on the information presently known, that the ultimate liability for the matters discussed in this Note, individually or in the aggregate, taking into account established accruals for estimated liabilities, will not be material to the consolidated financial condition of the Company, but could be material to results of operations or cash flows for a particular quarter or annual period. No assurance can be given, however, as to the ultimate outcome with respect to any particular issue.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Inquiry

On April 19, 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an order approving the contested Agreement in Resolution of Section 206 Proceeding (Agreement in Resolution) reached by Avista Corp. doing business as Avista Utilities, Avista Energy and the FERC’s Trial Staff with respect to an investigation into the activities of Avista Utilities and Avista Energy in western energy markets during 2000 and 2001. In the Agreement in Resolution, the FERC Trial Staff stated that its investigation found: (1) no evidence that any executives or employees of Avista Utilities or Avista Energy knowingly engaged in or facilitated any improper trading strategy; (2) no evidence that Avista Utilities or Avista Energy engaged in any efforts to manipulate the western energy markets during 2000 and 2001; and (3) that Avista Utilities and Avista Energy did not withhold relevant information from the FERC’s inquiry into the western energy markets for 2000 and 2001. As part of the Agreement in Resolution, Avista Utilities has agreed to improve its system of taping energy trading conversations and improve its account settlement process. Avista Utilities and Avista Energy have agreed to maintain an annual training program on the applicable FERC Code of Conduct for all employees engaged in the trading of electric energy and capacity. Under the Agreement in Resolution, no remedial measures were taken against Avista Utilities or Avista Energy and there was no imposition of monetary remedies or assessment of penalties, or relinquishment or modification of market-based rate authority. Parties have 30 days from the FERC order date (April 19, 2004) to file a request for rehearing. See the 2003 Form 10-K for a history of the FERC Inquiry.

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Subpoena

Beginning in June 2002, the CFTC issued several subpoenas directing Avista Corp. and Avista Energy to produce certain materials and make employees available to be interviewed. The inquiries related to whether electricity and natural gas trades by Avista Corp. and Avista Energy involved “round trip trades,” “wash trades,” or “sell/buyback trades” and whether Avista Corp. and Avista Energy properly reported trading prices to publishers of power and natural gas indices. While the CFTC always reserves the right to reopen its investigation, the CFTC provided written notification to Avista Corp. and Avista Energy on January 29, 2004 that it has determined to close the investigation.

Class Action Securities Litigation

On September 27, 2002, Ronald R. Wambolt filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington against Avista Corp., Thomas M. Matthews, the former Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Gary G. Ely, the current Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Jon E. Eliassen, the former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. In October and November 2002, Gail West, Michael Atlas and Peter Arnone filed similar class action lawsuits in the same court against the same parties. On February 3, 2003, the court issued an order consolidating the complaints under the name “In re Avista Corp. Securities Litigation,” and on February 7, 2003 appointed the lead plaintiff and co-lead counsel. On August 19, 2003, the plaintiffs filed their consolidated amended class action complaint in the same court against the same parties. In their complaint, the plaintiffs continue to assert violations of the federal securities laws in connection with alleged misstatements and omissions of material fact pursuant to Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The plaintiffs allege that the

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Company did not have adequate risk management processes, procedures and controls. The plaintiffs further allege that the Company engaged in unlawful energy trading practices and allegedly manipulated western power markets. The plaintiffs assert that alleged misstatements and omissions have occurred in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other information made publicly available by the Company, including press releases. The class action complaint asserts claims on behalf of all persons who purchased, converted, exchanged or otherwise acquired the Company’s common stock during the period between November 23, 1999 and August 13, 2002. The Company filed a motion to dismiss this complaint in October 2003 and the plaintiffs filed an answer to this motion in January 2004. Arguments before the Court on the motion were held on March 19, 2004. On April 15, 2004, the Court called for additional briefing on what effect, if any, the FERC proceedings (see “Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Inquiry” above) have on this case. The Company intends to vigorously defend against this lawsuit.

California Energy Markets

In April 2002, several subsidiaries of Reliant Energy, Inc. (Reliant) and Duke Energy Corporation (Duke) filed cross-complaints against Avista Energy and numerous other participants in the California energy markets. The cross-complaints seek indemnification for any liability that may arise from original complaints filed against Reliant and Duke with respect to charges of unlawful and unfair business practices in the California energy markets under California law. In June 2002, Avista Energy filed motions to dismiss the cross-complaints. In the meantime, the U.S. District Court remanded the case to California State Court, which remand is itself the subject of an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In March 2002, the Attorney General of the State of California (California AG) filed a complaint with the FERC against certain specific companies (not including Avista Corp. or its subsidiaries) and “all other public utility sellers” in California. The complaint alleges that sellers with market-based rates have violated their tariffs by not filing with the FERC transaction-specific information about all of their sales and purchases at market-based rates. As a result, the California AG contends that all past sales should be subject to refund if found to be above just and reasonable levels. In May 2002, the FERC issued an order denying the claim to issue refunds. In July 2002, the California AG requested a rehearing on the FERC order, which request was denied in September 2002. The California AG filed a Petition for Review of the FERC’s decision with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and awaits decision.

Port of Seattle Complaint

On May 21, 2003, the Port of Seattle filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington against numerous companies, including Avista Corp., Avista Energy and Avista Power. The complaint seeks compensatory and treble damages for alleged violations of the Sherman Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act by transmitting, via wire communications, false information intended to increase the price of power, knowing that others would rely upon such information. The complaint alleges that the defendants and others knowingly devised and attempted to devise a scheme to defraud and to obtain money and property from electricity customers throughout the WECC, by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. The alleged purpose of the scheme was to artificially increase the price that the defendants received for their electricity and ancillary services, to receive payments for services they did not provide and to manipulate the price of electricity throughout the WECC. In August 2003, the Company filed a motion to dismiss this complaint. A transfer order has been granted, which moves this case to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California to consolidate it with other pending actions. Arguments with respect to the motions to dismiss filed by the Company and other defendants were held on March 26, 2004.

Wah Chang Complaint

On May 5, 2004, Wah Chang, a division of TDY Industries, Inc., filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon against numerous companies, including Avista Corp., Avista Energy and Avista Power. The complaint seeks compensatory and treble damages for alleged violations of the Sherman Act, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, as well as violations of Oregon state law. From September 1997 to September 2002, the plaintiff purchased electricity from PacifiCorp pursuant to a contract that was indexed to the spot wholesale market price of electricity. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants transmitted, via wire communications, false and fraudulent information in interstate commerce. The plaintiff also alleges that the defendants engaged in numerous practices involving the generation, purchase, sale, exchange, scheduling and/or transmission of electricity with the effect of artificially and illegally fixing and raising the price of electricity in California and throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a result of the defendants’ alleged conduct, the plaintiff allegedly suffered damages of not less than $30 million through the payment of higher electricity prices.

State of Montana Proceedings

On June 30, 2003, the Attorney General of the State of Montana (Montana AG) filed a complaint in the Montana District Court on behalf of the people of Montana and the Flathead Electric Cooperative, Inc. against numerous companies, including Avista Corp. The complaint alleges that the companies illegally manipulated western electric and natural gas markets in 2000 and 2001. This case was subsequently moved to the United States District Court for the District of Montana; however, it has since been remanded back to the Montana District Court.

The Montana AG also petitioned the Montana Public Service Commission (MPSC) to fine public utilities $1,000 a day for each day it finds they engaged in alleged “deceptive, fraudulent, anticompetitive or abusive practices” and order refunds when consumers were forced to pay more than just and reasonable rates. On February 12, 2004, the

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MPSC issued an order initiating investigation of the Montana retail electricity market for the purpose of determining whether there is evidence of unlawful manipulation of that market.

Montana Public School Trust Fund Lawsuit

On October 20, 2003, Richard Dolan and Denise Hayman filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Montana against all private owners of hydroelectric dams in Montana, including Avista Corp. The lawsuit alleges that the hydroelectric facilities are located on state-owned riverbeds and the owners have never paid compensation to the state’s public school trust fund. The lawsuit requests lease payments dating back to the construction of the respective dams and also requests damages for trespassing and unjust enrichment. An Amended Complaint adding Great Falls Elementary School District No. 1 and Great Falls High School District 1A was filed on January 16, 2004. On February 2, 2004, the Company filed its motion to dismiss this lawsuit; PacifiCorp and PPL Montana, as the other named defendants also filed a motion to dismiss, or joined therein. The Montana AG has indicated that it intends to file a complaint on behalf of the state in the pending action to allegedly protect and preserve the state lands/school trust lands from use without compensation.

Montana Energy Security Act Initiative

In April 2004, the Montana Secretary of State certified that it had approved the form of a proposed initiative to create a governor-appointed board that would have the power to purchase at fair market value, operate or sell electric and natural gas facilities encompassing all elements of generation, transmission, distribution and energy marketing, and to sell electricity and natural gas at retail and wholesale. In the November 2002 General Election, a similar initiative, which only included hydroelectric assets, was rejected with 68 percent of the vote. The Company’s Noxon Rapids Hydroelectric Generating Station (Noxon Rapids) (527 MW) is located in Montana on the Clark Fork River. Avista Utilities also owns a 15 percent interest in a twin-unit, coal-fired generating facility, the Colstrip 3 & 4 Generating Project (Colstrip) (the Company’s share is 222 MW) in southeastern Montana. Additionally, the Company owns electric transmission, both solely and through joint interests, located in Montana.

The proposal is being presented as a ballot initiative, which allows for the enactment of law through public vote without legislative approval. The supporters of the initiative need to gather the necessary signatures by June 18, 2004. If this is accomplished, the initiative will be presented to the public in the November 2004 General Election and will require a majority vote to become law. The Company is opposing this initiative and intends to legally defend itself against the acquisition of its Montana assets. The Company is unable to predict whether or not the proposed initiative will obtain the necessary signatures and if it does, whether or not the initiative would pass in the November 2004 election. Further, the Company is not able to predict whether any legal challenge would be successful.

State of Washington Business and Occupation Tax

In December 2003, Avista Energy and the Washington Department of Revenue reached a settlement in principle with respect to a final resolution of a business and occupational tax matter within the amount that Avista Energy had previously accrued for this matter. The settlement in principle was finalized and completed in March 2004 with no impact on the results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2004. See the 2003 Form 10-K for a history of this matter.

Colstrip Generating Project Complaint

In May 2003, various parties (all of which are residents or businesses of Colstrip, Montana) filed a consolidated complaint against the owners of Colstrip in Montana District Court. Avista Corp. owns a 15 percent interest in Colstrip. The plaintiffs allege damages to buildings as a result of rising ground water, as well as damages from contaminated waters leaking from the lakes and ponds of Colstrip. The plaintiffs are seeking punitive damages, an order by the court to remove the lakes and ponds and the forfeiture of all profits earned from the generation of Colstrip. The Company intends to work with the other owners of Colstrip in defense of this complaint.

Hamilton Street Bridge Site

A portion of the Hamilton Street Bridge Site in Spokane, Washington (including a former coal gasification plant site that operated for approximately 60 years until 1948) was acquired by the Company through a merger in 1958. The

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Company no longer owns the property. In January 1999, the Company received notice from the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology (DOE) that it had been designated as a potentially liable party (PLP) with respect to any hazardous substances located on this site, stemming from the Company’s past ownership of the former gas plant site. In its notice, the DOE stated that it intended to complete an on-going remedial investigation of this site, complete a feasibility study to determine the most effective means of halting or controlling future releases of substances from the site, and to implement appropriate remedial measures. The Company responded to the DOE acknowledging its listing as a PLP, but requested that additional parties also be listed as PLPs. In the spring of 1999, the DOE named two other parties as additional PLPs.

The DOE, the Company and another PLP, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. (BNSF) signed an Agreed Order in March 2000 that provided for the completion of a remedial investigation and a feasibility study. The work to be performed under the Agreed Order includes three major technical parts: completion of the remedial investigation; performance of a focused feasibility study; and implementation of an interim groundwater monitoring plan. During the second quarter of 2000, the Company received comments from the DOE on its initial remedial investigation, and then submitted another draft of the remedial investigation, which was accepted as final by the DOE. After responding to comments from the DOE, the feasibility study was accepted by the DOE during the fourth quarter of 2000. After receiving input from the Company and the other PLPs, the final Cleanup Action Plan (CAP) was issued by the DOE in August 2001. In September 2001, the DOE issued an initial draft Consent Decree for the PLPs to review. During the first quarter of 2002, the Company and BNSF signed a cost sharing agreement. In September 2002, the Company, BNSF and the DOE finalized the Consent Decree to implement the CAP. The third PLP has indicated it will not sign the Consent Decree. It is currently estimated that the Company’s share of the costs will be less than $1.0 million. The Engineering and Design Report for the CAP was submitted to the DOE in January 2003 and approved by the DOE in May 2003. Work under the CAP commenced during the second quarter of 2003. Negotiations are continuing with the third PLP with respect to the logistics of the CAP.

Spokane River

In March 2001, the DOE informed Avista Development, a subsidiary of Avista Capital, of a health advisory concerning PCBs found in fish caught in a portion of the Spokane River. In June 2001, Avista Development received official notice that it had been designated as a PLP with respect to contaminated sites on the Spokane River. The DOE discovered PCBs in fish and sediments in the Spokane River in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s, the DOE performed subsequent sampling of the river and identified potential sources of the PCBs, including the Spokane Industrial Park (SIP) and a number of other entities in the area. The SIP, renamed Pentzer Development Corporation (Pentzer Development) in 1990, operated a wastewater treatment plant at the site until it was closed in December 1993. The SIP’s treatment plant discharged to the Spokane River under the terms of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the DOE. Pentzer Development sold the property in 1996 and merged with Avista Development in 1998. Avista Development filed a response to this notice in August 2001. In December 2001, the DOE confirmed Avista Development’s status as a PLP and named at least two other PLPs in this matter. In April 2003, the DOE released its study of wastewater and sludge handling from facilities owned by a fourth PLP. The DOE study indicated that the fourth PLP continued to discharge PCBs into the Spokane River. The DOE issued the fourth PLP a final notice of participation as a PLP on April 30, 2003.

During the fourth quarter of 2002, Avista Development and one other PLP, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation (Kaiser), finalized the Consent Decree and Scope of Work for the remedial investigation and feasibility study of the site, which was formally entered into Spokane County Superior Court in January 2003. The other PLPs have not been participating in the process. As directed by Avista Development and Kaiser, the field work for the remedial investigation began in April 2003 and was completed by the end of 2003 with a draft remedial investigation report and feasibility study technical memorandum submitted to the DOE in March 2004. Kaiser has filed for bankruptcy and is expected to file its reorganization plan in mid-2004. Kaiser has initiated negotiations with the DOE and Avista Development to settle its future financial liabilities associated with the site. The DOE has indicated that the actual cleanup of PCB sediments in the Spokane River will be coordinated to the extent possible with the EPA’s separate plan to remove heavy metals from the Spokane River. The Company believes that the heavy metals contamination resulted from decades of mining upstream at locations in Idaho and is not related to the activities of Avista Development or Avista Corp.

Lake Coeur d’Alene

In July 1998, the United States District Court for the District of Idaho issued its finding that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe of Idaho (Tribe) owns, among other things, portions of the bed and banks of Lake Coeur d’Alene (Lake) lying within

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the current boundaries of the Coeur d’Alene Reservation. This action had been brought by the United States on behalf of the Tribe against the State of Idaho. The Company was not a party to this action. The United States District Court decision was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The United States Supreme Court affirmed this decision in June 2001. This will result in, among other things, the Company being liable to the Tribe for compensation for the use of reservation lands under Section 10(e) of the Federal Power Act.

The Company’s Post Falls Hydroelectric Generating Station (Post Falls), a facility constructed in 1906 with a present capability of 18 MW, utilizes a dam on the Spokane River downstream of the Lake which controls the water level in the Lake for portions of the year (including portions of the lakebed owned by the Tribe). The Company has other hydroelectric facilities on the Spokane River downstream of Post Falls, but these facilities do not affect the water level in the Lake. The Company and the Tribe are engaged in discussions with respect to past and future compensation (which may include interest) for use of the portions of the bed and banks of the Lake, which are owned by the Tribe. If the parties cannot agree on the amount of compensation, the matter could result in litigation. The Company cannot predict the amount of compensation that it will ultimately pay or the terms of such payment. However, the Company intends to seek recovery of any amounts paid through the rate making process.

Spokane River Relicensing

The Company operates six hydroelectric plants on the Spokane River, and five of these (Long Lake, Nine Mile, Upper Falls, Monroe Street and Post Falls) are under one FERC license and referred to herein as the Spokane River Project. The sixth, Little Falls, is operated under separate Congressional authority and is not licensed by the FERC. The license for the Spokane River Project expires in August 2007; the Company filed a Notice of Intent to Relicense in July 2002. The formal consultation process involving planning and information gathering with stakeholder groups is underway. The Company’s goal is to develop with the stakeholders a comprehensive and cost-effective settlement agreement to be filed as part of the Company’s license application to the FERC in July 2005.

Clark Fork Settlement Agreement

Dissolved gas levels exceed Idaho and federal water quality standards downstream of the Cabinet Gorge Hydroelectric Generating Project (Cabinet Gorge) during periods when excess river flows must be diverted over the spillway. Mitigation of the dissolved gas levels continues to be studied as agreed to in the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement. Under the terms of the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, the Company developed an abatement and mitigation strategy with the other signatories to the agreement and submitted the plan in December 2002 for review and approval to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In February 2004, the Idaho DEQ and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the Company’s plan. The structural alternative proposed by the Company provides for the modification of the two existing diversion tunnels built when Cabinet Gorge was originally constructed. The costs of modifications to the first tunnel are currently estimated to be $37 million (including AFUDC and inflation) and would be incurred between 2004 and 2009. The second tunnel would be modified only after evaluation of the performance of the first tunnel and such modifications would commence no later than 10 years following the completion of the first tunnel. It is currently estimated that the costs to modify the second tunnel would be $23 million (including AFUDC and inflation). As part of the plan, the Company will also provide $0.5 million annually commencing as early as 2004, as mitigation for aquatic resources that might be adversely affected by high dissolved gas levels. Mitigation funds will continue until the modification of the second tunnel commences or if the second tunnel is not modified to an agreed upon point in time commensurate with the biological effects of high dissolved gas levels. The Company will seek regulatory recovery of the costs for the modification of Cabinet Gorge and the mitigation payments.

The operating license for the Clark Fork Project describes the approach to restore bull trout populations in the project areas. Using the concept of adaptive management and working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Company is evaluating the feasibility of fish passage. The results of these studies will help the Company and other parties determine the best use of funds toward continuing fish passage efforts or other population enhancement measures.

Other Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company has various other legal claims and contingent matters outstanding. The Company believes that any ultimate liability arising from these actions will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

This Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Avista Corp. is including the following cautionary statement to make applicable, and to take advantage of, the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for any forward-looking statement s made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, projections of future events or performance, and underlying assumptions (many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions). Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact including, without limitation, those that are identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, “will,” “anticipates,” “seeks to,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” and similar expressions. From time to time, the Company may publish or otherwise make available forward-looking statements of this nature. All such subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are also expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.

Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed. Most of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the Company’s control. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others:

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The Company’s expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith and are believed by the Company to have a reasonable basis including, without limitation, management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company’s records and other data available from third parties. However, there can be no assurance that the Company’s expectations, beliefs or projections will be achieved or accomplished. Furthermore, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor on the Company’s business or the extent to which any such factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

The following discussion and analysis is provided for the consolidated financial condition and results of operations of Avista Corp., including its subsidiaries. This discussion focuses on significant factors concerning the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and should be read along with the consolidated financial statements.

Avista Corp. Business Segments

Avista Corp. is an energy company engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. The Company has four business segments – Avista Utilities, Energy Marketing and Resource Management, Avista Advantage and Other. Avista Utilities is an operating division of Avista Corp. comprising the regulated utility operations. Avista Utilities generates, transmits and distributes electricity and distributes natural gas. Avista Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Avista Corp., is the parent company of all of the subsidiary companies in the non-utility business segments. As of March 31, 2004, the Company had common equity investments of $499.7 million and $257.6 million in Avista Utilities and Avista Capital, respectively.

The Energy Marketing and Resource Management business segment is comprised of Avista Energy, Inc. (Avista Energy) and Avista Power, LLC (Avista Power). Avista Energy is an electricity and natural gas marketing, trading and resource management business, operating primarily in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) geographical area, which is comprised of eleven Western states and the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Avista Power is an investor in certain generation assets, primarily its 49 percent interest in a 270-megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired combined cycle combustion turbine plant in northern Idaho (Lancaster Project).

Avista Advantage, Inc. (Avista Advantage) is a provider of utility bill processing, payment and information services to multi-site customers throughout North America. Its primary product lines include consolidated billing, resource accounting, energy analysis and load profiling services.

The Other business segment includes Avista Ventures, Inc. (Avista Ventures), Pentzer Corporation (Pentzer), Avista Development and certain other operations of Avista Capital. Included in this business segment is Advanced Manufacturing and Development (AM&D) doing business as METALfx, a subsidiary of Avista Ventures that performs custom sheet metal manufacturing of electronic enclosures, parts and systems for the computer, telecom and medical industries. AM&D also has a wood products division that provides complete fabrication and turnkey assembly for arcade games, kiosks, store fixtures, and displays.

Executive Level Summary

Avista Corp.’s net income and operating cash flows are derived primarily from Avista Utilities and Avista Energy (included in the Energy Marketing and Resource Management segment). Avista Corp. intends to focus on improving earnings and operating cash flows, controlling costs and reducing debt while working to restore an investment grade credit rating.

Avista Utilities will seek to continue to be among the industry leaders in performance, value and service in its electric and natural gas utility businesses. The utility business is expected to grow modestly, consistent with historical trends. Expansion is expected to result primarily from economic and population growth in its service territory. It is Avista Utilities’ strategy to own or to have contracts that provide a sufficient amount of resources to meet its retail and wholesale energy requirements under a range of operating conditions. Available resources and the costs of those resources are significantly affected by Avista Utilities’ hydroelectric production, which was 89 percent of normal in 2003. Based on forecasts and snowpack conditions as of April 2004, Avista Utilities expects

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hydroelectric production will be approximately 86 percent of normal in 2004. This forecast may change based upon precipitation, temperatures and other variables. The effects of below normal hydroelectric production are addressed through power cost deferral and recovery mechanisms. Customer loads and resulting revenues are significantly affected by weather. During the first quarter of 2004, the weather in Avista Utilities’ service territory was warmer than normal, which reduced net income. However, the weather was colder as compared to the first quarter of 2003, which increased net income compared to the first quarter of 2003. Avista Utilities expects normal weather during the remainder of 2004. As is the case with most regulated entities, Avista Utilities generally has ongoing regulatory proceedings. Avista Utilities continues to make progress with respect to resolving its regulatory matters; however, significant issues remain unresolved (see “Avista Utilities – Regulatory Matters” and “Power Market Issues”). Avista Utilities will continue to file for rate adjustments to provide recovery of its costs and to more closely align earned returns with those allowed by regulatory agencies in each jurisdiction. The Company expects Avista Utilities’ net income to increase for the remainder of 2004 as compared to 2003, assuming more normal weather, a decrease in interest expenses and the implementation of general rate increases.

Avista Utilities faces issues with respect to an aging workforce at all levels of its operations. Management succession plans have been implemented to work towards ensuring that executive officer positions are appropriately filled. Avista Utilities has taken similar steps in key technical and craft areas to work towards ensuring that these positions will be appropriately filled when retirements occur.

Avista Energy focuses on optimization of combustion turbines and hydroelectric assets owned by other entities, long-term electric supply contracts, natural gas storage, and electric transmission and natural gas transportation arrangements. Avista Energy is also involved in trading electricity and natural gas, including derivative commodity instruments. Avista Energy Canada, Ltd. (Avista Energy Canada) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Avista Energy that provides natural gas services to approximately 400 industrial customers in British Columbia, Canada. In addition to earnings and resulting cash flows from settled or realized transactions, Avista Energy records unrealized or mark-to-market adjustments for the change in the value of derivative commodity instruments. Avista Energy’s marketing, trading and resource management activities are driven by its base of knowledge and experience in the operation of both electric energy and natural gas physical systems in the WECC, as well as its relationship-focused approach with its customers. Avista Energy is also subject to certain regulatory proceedings that remain unresolved (see “Power Market Issues”); however, Avista Energy believes that it has adequate reserves established for refunds that may be ordered. The wholesale power markets in which Avista Energy operates continue to change with respect to market participants involved, level of activity, volatility in market prices, liquidity, FERC-imposed price caps and counterparty credit issues. Net income for Avista Energy decreased for the first quarter of 2004 as compared to the first quarter of 2003. This was primarily due to the positive effects in the first quarter of 2003 of accounting for energy trading activities under SFAS No. 133 and the settlement of positions with certain Enron affiliates. Due to these factors, the Company expects that net income from Avista Energy will decrease for fiscal year 2004 as compared to 2003.

Avista Advantage remains focused on increasing revenues, improving margins, and continuously enhancing client satisfaction. In April 2004, the president of Avista Advantage left the Company. A replacement search is currently underway. The Company expects Avista Advantage will be break-even or generate slightly positive net income for the second half of 2004 based on improving revenues and stabilized operating expenses from processing efficiencies.

Over time as opportunities arise, the Company plans to dispose of assets and phase out operations in the Other business segment. The Company expects the net loss in the Other business segment to be less for fiscal year 2004 as compared to 2003 due to the resolution of prior legal matters, as well as decreased losses from current investments and the operations of AM&D.

During the remainder of 2004, the Company expects cash flows from operations and Avista Corp.’s committed line of credit to provide adequate resources to fund capital expenditures, maturing long-term debt and other contractual commitments. However, if market conditions warrant during 2004, the Company may issue securities to fund these obligations, refinance existing debt and repurchase long-term debt scheduled to mature in future years to reduce its overall debt service costs, as well as to reduce the impact of significant debt maturities scheduled for 2007 and 2008.

Avista Utilities – Resources and Resource Optimization

Avista Utilities owns and operates eight hydroelectric projects, a wood-waste fueled generating station, a two-unit natural gas-fired combustion turbine (CT) generating facility and two small generating facilities. It also owns a 15 percent share in a two-unit coal-fired generating facility and leases and operates a two-unit natural gas-fired CT

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generating facility. WP Funding LP, an entity that is included in Avista Corp.’s consolidated financial statements and in the Avista Utilities business segment, owns the two-unit natural gas-fired CT generating facility that is leased by Avista Utilities. In July 2003, the combined cycle natural gas-fired Coyote Springs 2 Generation Project (Coyote Springs 2) was placed into operation. Avista Utilities has a 50 percent ownership interest (140 MW) in Coyote Springs 2. See “Avista Utilities-Developments with Coyote Springs 2” for information with respect to a transformer failure at Coyote Springs 2. In addition to company owned resources, Avista Utilities has a number of long-term power purchase and exchange contracts that increase its available resources.

Avista Utilities engages in an ongoing process of resource optimization, which involves the pursuit of economic resources to serve load obligations and using existing resources to capture available economic value. Avista Utilities sells and purchases wholesale electric capacity and energy to and from utilities and other entities as part of the process of acquiring resources to serve its retail and wholesale load obligations. These transactions range from a term as short as one hour up to long-term contracts that extend beyond one year. Avista Utilities makes continuing projections of (1) future retail and wholesale loads based on, among other things, forward estimates of factors such as customer usage and weather as well as historical data and contract terms and (2) resource availability based on, among other things, estimates of streamflows, generating unit availability, historic and forward market information and experience. On the basis of these continuing projections, Avista Utilities makes purchases and sales of energy on an annual, quarterly, monthly, daily and hourly basis to match expected resources to expected energy requirements. Resource optimization also includes transactions such as purchasing fuel to run thermal generation and, when economic, selling fuel and substituting electric wholesale market purchases for the operation of Avista Utilities’ own resources, as well as other wholesale transactions to capture the value of available generation and transmission resources. This optimization process includes entering into financial and physical hedging transactions as a means of managing risks.

Avista Utilities – Regulatory Matters

General Rate Cases

Avista Utilities regularly reviews the need for electric and natural gas rate changes in each state in which it provides service. In February 2004, Avista Utilities filed electric and natural gas general rate cases in Idaho. The request is designed to increase electric revenues by 11 percent, or $18.9 million in annual revenues, over current rates. This would result from a 24 percent increase in base retail rates (an increase of $35.2 million in annual revenues) offset by a $16.3 million annual revenue decrease from the current Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) surcharge with the remaining balance being recovered over a two-year period at a reduced rate. Avista Utilities also requested a natural gas general rate increase of 9.2 percent, or $4.8 million in annual revenues. Avista Utilities’ requests are based on an overall rate of return of 9.82 percent and a return on equity of 11.5 percent. The IPUC has established a procedural schedule, which currently calls for an order on these requests to be released in September 2004.

In September 2003, the OPUC approved a general natural gas rate increase of $6.3 million in annual revenues effective October 1, 2003 that authorizes, among other things, an overall rate of return of 8.88 percent and a return on equity of 10.25 percent.

Power Cost Deferrals and Recovery Mechanisms

Avista Utilities defers the recognition in the income statement of certain power supply costs that are in excess of the level currently recovered from retail customers as authorized by the WUTC and the IPUC. A portion of power supply costs are recorded as a deferred charge on the balance sheet for future review and the opportunity for recovery through retail rates.

The June 2002 WUTC rate order established an Energy Recovery Mechanism (ERM) effective July 1, 2002. The ERM replaced a series of temporary deferral mechanisms that had been in place in Washington since mid-2000. The ERM allows Avista Utilities to increase or decrease electric rates periodically with WUTC approval to reflect changes in power supply costs. The ERM provides for Avista Utilities to incur the cost of, or receive the benefit from, the first $9.0 million in annual power supply costs above or below the amount included in base retail rates. Under the ERM, 90 percent of the power supply costs exceeding or below the initial $9.0 million are deferred for future surcharge or rebate to Avista Utilities’ customers. The remaining 10 percent of power supply costs are an expense of, or benefit to, the Company. The Company expensed $6.3 million of power supply costs above the amount included in base retail rates during the first quarter of 2004 and expects to expense the full $9.0 million during 2004.

Under the ERM, Avista Utilities agreed to make an annual filing on or before April 1st of each year to provide the opportunity for the WUTC and other interested parties to review the prudence of and audit the ERM deferred power

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cost transactions for the prior calendar year. The settlement agreement establishing the ERM provides for a 90-day review period for the filing; however, the period may be extended by agreement of the parties or by WUTC order. Avista Utilities made its annual filing with the WUTC on April 1, 2004 related to $22.8 million of deferred power costs incurred for 2003.

Avista Utilities has a PCA mechanism in Idaho that allows it to modify electric rates periodically with IPUC approval. Under the PCA mechanism, Avista Utilities defers 90 percent of the difference between certain actual net power supply expenses and the authorized level of net power supply expense approved in the last Idaho general rate case. The IPUC originally approved a 19.4 percent surcharge in October 2001, which has been extended through October 2004 for recovery of previously deferred power costs. Based on IPUC staff recommendations and IPUC orders, the prudence of $11.9 million of deferred power costs will be reviewed in the electric general rate case that Avista Utilities filed in February 2004. Avista Utilities believes that such costs for long-term fuel supply contracts were prudently incurred. The IPUC has also directed Avista Utilities to work with the IPUC staff and interested customers to address concerns with respect to risk management policies as it pertains to long-term fuel supply contracts. As directed by the IPUC, Avista Utilities addressed this issue in its February 2004 electric general rate case filing.

The following table shows activity in deferred power costs for Washington and Idaho during 2003 and the three months ended March 31, 2004 (dollars in thousands):

Purchased Gas Adjustments

Natural gas commodity prices increased towards the end of 2002 and into the first half of 2003 before declining somewhat in the middle of 2003 and increasing at the end of 2003 and into the first quarter of 2004. The continued tight balance between supply and demand for natural gas is a major contributor to the ongoing price volatility in natural gas, and this is expected to continue through 2004. The Company is well connected to multiple supply basins in the western United States and western Canada and believes there will be sufficient supplies of natural gas to meet its customers’ needs. However, natural gas prices in the Pacific Northwest are increasingly affected by supply and demand factors in other regions of the United States and Canada. Natural gas commodity costs in excess of the amount recovered in current rates are deferred and recovered in future periods with applicable regulatory approval through adjustments to rates. Market prices for natural gas continue to be competitive compared to alternative fuel sources for residential, commercial and industrial customers. Avista Utilities believes that natural gas should sustain its market advantage over competing energy sources based on the levels of existing reserves and potential natural gas development in the future.

During the second half of 2002, Avista Utilities adjusted its natural gas rates in response to a decrease in current and projected natural gas costs at that time. During the fourth quarter of 2002, natural gas rate decreases of 17.4 percent, 15.5 percent, 7.1 percent and 16.2 percent were approved and implemented in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California, respectively. As discussed above, current and projected natural gas prices increased towards the end of 2002 and into 2003. During September and October of 2003, natural gas rate increases of 8.7 percent, 2.4 percent, 12.4 percent and 15.0 percent were approved and implemented in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California, respectively. In March 2004, the WUTC removed a refund stipulation with respect to the Washington natural gas

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rate increase and approved full recovery. On April 1, 2004, a 7.3 percent increase in Oregon was approved and implemented. In March 2004, a 6.3 percent increased was requested in California to become effective in May 2004. These natural gas rate increases and decreases are designed to pass through changes in purchased natural gas costs to customers with no change in Avista Utilities’ gross margin or net income. Total deferred natural gas costs were $20.8 million and $15.4 million as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.

Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism

The IPUC, WUTC and OPUC approved Avista Utilities’ Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism in 1999. The mechanism eliminated the majority of natural gas procurement operations within Avista Utilities and placed responsibility for natural gas procurement operations with Avista Energy, the Company’s non-regulated subsidiary. The ownership of the natural gas assets remains with Avista Utilities; however, the assets are managed by Avista Energy through an Agency Agreement. In early 2002, the IPUC and the OPUC approved the continuation of the Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism and related Agency Agreement through March 31, 2005. In February 2004, the WUTC ordered that the Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism and related Agency Agreement be terminated for Washington customers and ordered Avista Utilities to file a transition plan to move management of these functions back into Avista Utilities. In April 2004, the WUTC approved Avista Utilities’ transition plan, which provides for the movement of these functions back into Avista Utilities to be completed by March 31, 2005. The Company is also planning to move these functions from Avista Energy to Avista Utilities for Idaho and Oregon natural gas customers with the expiration of the current agreements on March 31, 2005. It is estimated that the termination of the Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism and related Agency Agreement will result in a reduction of approximately $1.0 million in Avista Energy’s pre-tax earnings and an increase in costs of approximately $1.0 million for Avista Utilities. Avista Utilities would seek recovery of any increased costs in future general rate case proceedings. This transition of Avista Utilities’ natural gas procurement operations will also impact the level of counterparty credit requirements at both Avista Utilities and Avista Energy.

Power Market Issues

Counterparty Defaults

In early 2001, California’s two largest utilities defaulted on payment obligations owed to various energy sellers, including Avista Energy, resulting in defaults by the California Power Exchange (CalPX) and the California Independent System Operator (CalISO). In April 2004, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) paid its defaulted obligations into an escrow fund in accordance with its bankruptcy reorganization. The FERC has ordered that the settlement of defaulted obligations held in the PG&E escrow fund and by the CalPX will depend on a determination of the California refund claims (see further information under “California Refund Proceeding”). As of March 31, 2004, Avista Energy’s accounts receivable outstanding related to defaulting parties in California were fully offset by reserves for uncollected amounts and refunds. Avista Energy is pursuing recovery of the defaulted obligations.

California Refund Proceeding

In July 2001, the FERC initiated a proceeding to determine if refunds should be owed and, if so, the amounts of such refunds for sales during the period from October 2, 2000 to June 20, 2001 in the California power market. The order provides that any refunds owed could be offset against unpaid energy debts due to the same party. Interested parties have contested pricing determinants and other matters since the proceeding started. The CalISO and the CalPX prepared revised values for the affected power transactions and they are preparing additional iterations of revised prices and terms as directed by the FERC. The results of these calculations are likely to be appealed to the FERC and federal courts. In March 2003, the FERC issued an order that addressed issues related to the California refund proceedings, setting forth proposed retroactive pricing standards. In June 2003, the FERC issued an order to review bids above $250 per MW made by participants in the short-term energy markets operated by the CalISO and the CalPX from May 1, 2000 to October 2, 2000. Market participants with bids above $250 per MW during the period described above will be required to demonstrate why their bidding behavior and practices did not violate applicable market rules. If violations were found to exist, the FERC would require the refund of any unjust profits and could also enforce other non-monetary penalties, such as the revocation of market-based rate authority. Avista Energy is subject to this review. Avista Energy maintains that it has engaged in sound business practices in accordance with established market rules. Based on current information, the Company believes that it has sufficient reserves in place for potential California refunds.

Pacific Northwest Refund Proceeding

In July 2001, the FERC initiated a proceeding to determine if refunds should be owed and, if so, the amounts of such refunds for sales during the period from December 25, 2000 to June 20, 2001 in the Pacific Northwest power market. Various parties including aggrieved parties, FERC staff, and alleged beneficiaries of excess prices filed pleadings, analyses, and motions related to the requested refunds in the two years following the initiation of this proceeding. In

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June 2003, the FERC denied the request for retroactive refunds for spot market sales in the Pacific Northwest power market. In July 2003, a group, which includes Avista Utilities and Avista Energy, filed a request for rehearing supporting the FERC’s decision to deny retroactive refund claims in the Pacific Northwest spot market but raising argument on certain procedural issues only in the event that the FERC entertains additional arguments in the case. Also in July 2003, several other parties filed requests for rehearing on the FERC’s June 2003 order. The requests for rehearing were denied by the FERC in November 2003. A petition for review of the FERC’s decision was filed by the City of Tacoma on December 24, 2003, with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Final closure of the Pacific Northwest refund proceeding will await appellate court review and the Company cannot predict its ultimate conclusion.

Market Conduct Investigations

As a result of certain revelations about alleged improper practices engaged in by Enron and certain of its affiliates, the FERC initiated investigations in February 2002 of Avista Utilities, Avista Energy and other unrelated parties. Avista Utilities and Avista Energy cooperated with the FERC investigation by providing requested documents and other information. Several parties filed documents with the FERC in March 2003 alleging improper market conduct by various parties, including Avista Utilities and Avista Energy, and requesting refunds and other relief. Based upon review of the filings, there were no new allegations or information not known to and addressed by the FERC Trial Staff in its investigations of Avista Corp. and Avista Energy. Avista Corp. and Avista Energy filed replies in response to the allegations of the parties.

In March 2003, the FERC policy staff issued its final report on their investigation of western energy markets. In the report, the FERC policy staff recommended the issuance of “show cause” orders to dozens of companies to respond to allegations of possible misconduct in the western energy markets during 2000 and 2001. Of the companies named in the March 2003 FERC policy staff report, Avista Corp. and Avista Energy were among the few that had already been subjects of a FERC investigation. As explained at “Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Inquiry” in “Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” regarding the investigation of Avista Corp. and Avista Energy, on April 19, 2004 the FERC approved the Agreement in Resolution reached between Avista Corp. doing business as Avista Utilities, Avista Energy and the FERC’s Trial Staff with respect to an investigation into the activities of Avista Utilities and Avista Energy in western energy markets during 2000 and 2001. In the Agreement in Resolution, the FERC Trial Staff stated that its investigation found: (1) no evidence that any executives or employees of Avista Utilities or Avista Energy knowingly engaged in or facilitated any improper trading strategy; (2) no evidence that Avista Utilities or Avista Energy engaged in any efforts to manipulate the western energy markets during 2000 and 2001; and (3) that Avista Utilities and Avista Energy did not withhold relevant information from the FERC’s inquiry into the western energy markets for 2000 and 2001. As part of the Agreement in Resolution, Avista Utilities has agreed to improve its system of taping energy trading conversations and improve its account settlement process. Avista Utilities and Avista Energy have agreed to maintain an annual training program on the applicable FERC Code of Conduct for all employees engaged in the trading of electric energy and capacity. Under the Agreement in Resolution, no remedial measures were taken against Avista Utilities or Avista Energy and there was no imposition of monetary remedies or assessment of penalties, or relinquishment or modification of market-based rate authority. Parties have 30 days from the FERC order date (April 19, 2004) to file a request for rehearing.

See further information under “Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Inquiry,” “U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Subpoena,” “California Energy Markets,” “Port of Seattle Complaint,” and “State of Montana Proceedings” in “Note 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.”

Regional Transmission Organizations

FERC Order No. 2000 required all utilities subject to FERC regulation to file a proposal to form a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), or a description of efforts to participate in an RTO, and any existing obstacles to RTO participation. FERC Order No. 2000 is a follow-up to FERC Orders No. 888 and No. 889 issued in 1996, which required transmission owners to provide non-discriminatory transmission service to third parties.

Avista Corp. is in continuing discussions with utilities and others in the Pacific Northwest region to define how such an RTO might work. For example, the Company has negotiated with nine other utilities in the western United States on the possible formation of an RTO, RTO West, a non-profit organization. The Company and two other western utilities have also taken steps toward the formation of a for-profit Independent Transmission Company, TransConnect, which could be a member of a future RTO.

The final proposal for any RTO or TransConnect must be approved by the FERC, the boards of directors of the filing companies and regulators in various states. The Company’s decision to move forward with the formation of TransConnect or any RTO serving the Pacific Northwest region, as well as the legal, financial and operating

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implications of such decisions, will ultimately depend on the terms and conditions related to the formation of the entities and conditions established in the regulatory approval processes. The Company cannot predict these implications.

In September 2003, a new organization called Western Interconnection L.L.C. (WI) filed an application with the FERC for certification as an RTO to provide transmission service in the western United States. As part of its application, WI requested that FERC order each jurisdictional utility in the western United States (including Avista Corp.) to provide escrow funding to WI in the amount of $4.0 million per year. Several parties (including Avista Corp.) have filed motions with the FERC requesting that WI’s application be denied.

Wholesale Power Market Design

In April 2003, the FERC issued a White Paper presenting a revised version of proposed wholesale power market rules. The White Paper emphasizes a focus on the formation of RTOs and on ensuring that all independent transmission organizations have sound market rules. The White Paper further indicates that the implementation schedule will vary depending on regional needs and will also allow for regional differences. This White Paper was developed based on input from numerous state regulatory agencies, utility companies, industry and consumer groups, as well as the public. The White Paper reflects significant concerns raised with respect to the FERC’s initial proposal of a Standard Market Design in July 2002. The FERC’s stated goals with respect to wholesale power markets include: reliable and reasonably priced electric service for all customers; sufficient electric infrastructure; transparent markets with fair rules for all market participants; stability and regulatory certainty for customers, the electric power industry, and investors; technological innovation; and efficient use of the nation’s resources. The White Paper proposes a significant role being played by regional authorities in setting up regional power markets. At this time, the Company cannot predict the ultimate impact the changes may have on its operations as well as how the changes may impact the RTO West, TransConnect and WI proposals.

Results of Operations

Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Common Share by Business Segments

The following table presents diluted earnings (loss) per common share by business segments for the three months ended March 31:

Overall Operations

Income from continuing operations was $12.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to $18.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. The decrease was primarily due to decreased net income for Energy Marketing and Resource Management, partially offset by increased net income for Avista Utilities and decreased net losses for Avista Advantage and the Other business segment.

Net income for Energy Marketing and Resource Management was $3.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to $13.1 million (excluding the cumulative effect of accounting change) for the three months ended March 31, 2003. During the three months ended March 31, 2003, Avista Energy’s earnings were positively impacted by the effects of accounting for energy contracts under SFAS No. 133 and a settlement with certain Enron affiliates. The combined effect of these two items on net income for the three months ended March 31, 2003 was approximately $9.6 million, or $0.20 per diluted share.

Net income for Avista Utilities was $10.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004, compared to $8.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. The increase for Avista Utilities was primarily due to an

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increase in gross margin and a decrease in depreciation and amortization, partially offset by an increase in other operating expenses (operations and maintenance, administrative and general, and taxes other than income taxes).

Avista Advantage incurred a net loss of less than $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to a net loss of $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. The decrease in the net loss was primarily due to an increase in operating revenues and a decrease in operating expenses.

The Other business segment incurred a net loss of $1.6 million (excluding the cumulative effect of accounting change) for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to $2.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. The decrease in the net loss was primarily due to a decrease in the losses on certain investments of Avista Ventures, partially offset by an increase in the loss from operations.

Total revenues increased $4.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003. Avista Utilities’ revenues increased $30.3 million, or 12 percent, due to both increased electric and natural gas revenues. The increase in natural gas revenues was primarily due to natural gas rate increases implemented during the fourth quarter of 2003 and partially due to increased therms sold as a result of colder weather during the first quarter of 2004 as compared to the first quarter of 2003. The increase in electric revenues reflects an increase in retail revenues and sales of fuel, partially offset by a decrease in wholesale revenues. Revenues from Energy Marketing and Resource Management decreased $19.2 million, or 16 percent, primarily due to decreased net trading margin on contracts accounted for under SFAS No. 133 and a settlement with Enron affiliates during the three months ended March 31, 2003, partially offset by increased revenues on contracts that are not considered derivatives under SFAS No. 133 (primarily the Agency Agreement with Avista Utilities). Revenues from Avista Advantage increased 11 percent to $5.3 million primarily as a result of customer growth. Revenues from the Other business segment decreased $0.2 million primarily due to decreased revenues from AM&D.

Total resource costs increased $13.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003. Resource costs for Avista Utilities increased $19.8 million primarily due to an increase in the expense for natural gas purchased. This increase was due to both an increase in prices and the volume purchased due to colder weather. Resource costs for Energy Marketing and Resource Management decreased $0.2 million.

Intersegment eliminations, which decreases both operating revenues and resource costs, increased to $59.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 from $52.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003, representing increased purchases of natural gas under the Agency Agreement between Avista Utilities and Avista Energy.

Operations and maintenance expenses increased $4.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003 primarily due to increased expenses for Avista Utilities, partially offset by decreased expenses for Avista Advantage and the Other business segment. The increase for Avista Utilities primarily reflects an increase in labor costs and was also due to expenses for Coyote Springs 2, which commenced operations in mid-2003.

Administrative and general expenses decreased $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003 primarily due to decreased expenses for Energy Marketing and Resource Management, partially offset by increased expenses from Avista Utilities, Avista Advantage and the Other business segment. The decrease for Energy Marketing and Resource Management was primarily a result of decreased compensation expenses and professional fees. The increase for Avista Utilities was primarily due to increased employee benefit costs, insurance costs and professional services.

Depreciation and amortization decreased $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003 primarily due to a correction at Avista Utilities for overstated depreciation expense in prior periods, partially offset by utility plant additions at Avista Utilities and the resulting increase in depreciation expense. Coyote Springs 2 was placed into service in mid-2003 and increased depreciation expense by $0.6 million.

Taxes other than income taxes increased $2.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003 primarily due to increased retail revenues and related taxes for Avista Utilities.

Interest expense (including interest expense to affiliated trusts) increased $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003 primarily due to the inclusion of $0.5 million

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of preferred stock dividends as interest expense for the first quarter of 2004 in accordance with SFAS No. 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity” (see Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements), partially offset by a decrease in interest expense other than preferred stock dividends due to the repurchase of higher cost debt. Preferred stock dividends of $0.6 million were classified as a separate line item on the Consolidated Statement of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2003. During 2003, the Company repurchased $52.5 million of long-term debt. Excluding the effect of preferred stock dividends, the Company expects interest expense to continue to decline in 2004 due to the effect of previous debt repurchases. The Company also expects interest expense to continue to decline due to the April 2004 issuance of $61.9 million of Junior Subordinated Debt Securities to AVA Capital Trust III, a business trust. Concurrently, AVA Capital Trust III issued $60.0 million of Preferred Trust Securities to third parties and $1.9 million of Common Trust Securities to the Company. All of these securities have a fixed interest rate of 6.50 percent for five years (through March 31, 2009). The Company used the proceeds from the Junior Subordinated Debt Securities to redeem $61.9 million of 7.875 percent Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures, Series A, originally issued in 1997 to Avista Capital I, a business trust. Avista Capital I used these proceeds to redeem $60.0 million of Preferred Trust Securities issued to third parties and $1.9 million of Common Trust Securities issued to the Company.

Capitalized interest increased $0.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003. This was primarily due to increased construction activity at Avista Utilities and higher average construction work in progress balances.

Other income-net increased $1.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003 primarily due to increased interest income and decreased losses in 2004 on certain investments in the Other business segment.

Income taxes decreased $4.3 million for three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003, primarily due to decreased income before income taxes. The effective tax rate was 41.9 percent for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to 42.2 percent for the three months ended March 31, 2003.

During the three months ended March 31, 2004, the Other business segment recorded as a cumulative effect of accounting change a charge of $0.5 million related to the implementation of FIN 46, which required Avista Ventures to consolidate several minor entities.

During the three months ended March 31, 2003, Avista Energy recorded as a cumulative effect of accounting change a charge of $1.2 million (net of tax) related to Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) Issue No. 02-3, “Issues Involved in Accounting for Derivative Contracts Held for Trading Purposes and Contracts Involved in Energy Trading and Risk Management Activities,” which effectively required the transition of accounting for energy trading activities from EITF Issue No. 98-10, “Accounting for Contracts Involved in Energy Trading and Risk Management Activities” to SFAS No. 133.

Avista Utilities

Net income for Avista Utilities was $10.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to $8.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. Avista Utilities’ income from operations was $39.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to $36.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2003. This increase was primarily due to an increase in gross margin and a decrease in depreciation and amortization, partially offset by an increase in operations and maintenance, administrative and general, and taxes other than income taxes.

The following table presents Avista Utilities’ gross margin for the three months ended March 31 (dollars in thousands):

Avista Utilities’ operating revenues increased $30.3 million and resource costs increased $19.8 million, which resulted in an increase of $10.5 million in gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2004 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2003. The gross margin on natural gas sales increased $4.8 million and the gross margin on electric sales increased $5.7 million. The increase in the gross margin on natural gas sales was primarily

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due to an increase in retail customer usage. Primarily due to colder weather and partially due to customer growth during the first three months of 2004, total retail therm sales increased by 9 percent. The increase in electric gross margin was partially due to the expense of the initial $6.3 million of power supply costs in Washington exceeding the amount included in base retail rates during the first quarter of 2004, compared to $9.0 million for the first quarter of 2003. The remaining increase in electric gross margin primarily reflects increased customer usage due to colder weather and customer growth.

The following table presents Avista Utilities’ electric operating revenues and megawatt-hour (MWh) sales for the three months ended March 31 (dollars and MWhs in thousands):

Retail electric revenues increased $10.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2004 from the three months ended March 31, 2003. This increase was primarily due to an increase in total MWhs sold (increased revenues $14.3 million), partially offset by a decrease in revenue per MWh (decreased revenues $3.7 million). The weather was generally colder than 2003 during the first quarter of 2004 which increased MWh sales. The decrease in revenue per MWh was primarily due to a slight change in revenue mix with a greater percentage of revenues from industrial sales. The increase in industrial revenues was primarily due to the new Potlatch Corporation contract.

Wholesale electric revenues decreased $5.9 million reflecting a decrease in wholesale sales volumes partially offset by higher average sales prices. The decrease in wholesale revenues was also due to the implementation of EITF Issue No. 03-11, which requires that wholesale revenues and resource costs from Avista Utilities’ settled energy contracts that are “booked out” (not physically delivered) should be reported on a net basis as part of operating revenues effective October 1, 2003. The adoption of this EITF Issue resulted in a reduction in wholesale revenues of approximately $2.7 million for 2004 as compared to 2003 for Avista Utilities.

Sales of fuel increased $4.5 million as a result of natural gas that was not used for generation because electric wholesale market prices were generally below the cost of operating the gas-fired thermal generating units.

The following table presents Avista Utilities’ natural gas operating revenues and therm sales for the three months ended March 31 (dollars and therms in thousands):