EleQuant appoints John Sell director of sales

With 20 years' experience in energy and electrical equipment sales and an engineering background

San Francisco, September 17, 2002 - EleQuant Inc., the leader in next generation electricity load flow and grid management solutions, today announced the appointment of John Sell as Director of Sales. Sell will be responsible for expanding and managing the North American sales for EleQuant's flagship product suite, Advanced Grid Observation Reliable Algorithms (AGORATM). AGORA dramatically improves the reliability and efficiency of electric grid operations and is in use in major utility companies in North America, Europe, and South America. With AGORA power system operators and planners can now accurately manage and simulate the activity on a power grid under any condition, allowing for more accurate operations and planning and faster restoration of power after blackouts.

Sell has over 20 years experience in the energy industry and has most recently managed national sales programs at Basic Measuring Instruments (BMI) for power quality measurement/mitigation and electrical equipment. As product manager at BMI, Sell was instrumental in producing the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) 1990s Distribution Power Quality survey that, for the first time, measured industry-wide electric power quality in the U.S.

"Until EleQuant introduced AGORA, system operators and planners have had to use inaccurate tools which make serious errors in predicting where and how electricity should flow over existing power lines," said Sell. "EleQuant has made a critical breakthrough in electrical grid management that will finally make it possible for power companies to truly optimize existing power lines, as well as, establish fast and reliable strategies for restoring power after blackouts."

"John's background in electrical engineering, combined with his industry marketing experience made him the clear choice for this new position," said Eric Freeman, EleQuant's Vice President and General Manager. "He understands how the scientific breakthrough our company has made will directly benefit U.S. power companies."

Sell received a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and his Master's in Industrial Administration from Purdue University.

About EleQuant

Founded in 1988 and based in Barcelona, Spain, GRUPO AIA is a technology and software development company that specializes in solving complex problems for the energy, banking and telecommunications industries. The company is known throughout Europe for developing innovative solutions in areas such as intelligent observation and management of electrical grids, electricity demand forecasting, and river basin hydro-generation optimization. The company employs more than 100 physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, electrical and telecommunication engineers.

AIA's energy management division has developed new technology for real-time intelligent observation and management of electricity flow. Public and private power companies use the company's solutions to dramatically improve efficiency of electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

In 2002, the company launched its U.S. operations with the formation of EleQuant, headquartered in San Francisco. EleQuant will focus on providing the company's energy products to utilities, independent system operators, regional transmission operators and other organizations involved with management of electricity grids in the U.S. and Canada. EleQuant Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of GRUPO AIA.

Contacts:

John Sell
EleQuant
415-981-7000
john.Sell@elequant.com