HOUSTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- El Paso Merchant Energy, a business unit of El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP), today announced it executed an agreement to sell all of the common interests in East Coast Power, L.L.C. to GS Linden Power Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., for $456 million in cash. Approximately $600 million of non-recourse, project-level debt will remain outstanding at East Coast Power, L.L.C. and its subsidiaries. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions.

East Coast Power L.L.C. owns the natural gas-fired, 940-megawatt Linden cogeneration facility located adjacent to Staten Island in Linden, New Jersey. The facility supplies contracted power to the New York City market and a local refinery. Merchant power is also supplied to the New York City Zone J market and the PJM market. The sale of East Coast Power also includes the rights to additional generation and transmission development opportunities at the Linden site.

This sale supports El Paso's previously announced 2003 five-point business plan, which includes exiting non-core businesses quickly but prudently, and strengthening and simplifying the balance sheet while maximizing liquidity. With this announcement, El Paso has now either closed or has non-core sales under contract for approximately $2.2 billion for 2003, or approximately 63 percent of its asset sales goal of $3.4 billion for calendar year 2003.

El Paso Corporation is the leading provider of natural gas services and the largest pipeline company in North America. The company has core businesses in production, pipelines, midstream services, and power. El Paso Corporation, rich in assets and fully integrated across the natural gas value chain, is committed to developing new supplies and technologies to deliver energy. For more information, visit www.elpaso.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements and projections, made in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, including, without limitation, our ability to attract and retain qualified members of the Board of Directors; the successful recruitment and retention of a qualified CEO; the successful implementation of the 2003 operational and financial plan; the successful implementation of the settlement related to the Western Energy Crisis; material and adverse impacts from our proxy contest with Selim Zilkha/Oscar Wyatt; actions by the credit rating agencies; the successful close of financing transactions, including an extension of our bank facilities; our ability to successfully exit the energy trading business; our ability to divest of certain non-core assets; changes in commodity prices for oil, natural gas, and power; general economic and weather conditions in geographic regions or markets served by El Paso Corporation and its affiliates, or where operations of the company and its affiliates are located; the uncertainties associated with governmental regulation; political and currency risks associated with international operations of the company and its affiliates; inability to realize anticipated synergies and cost savings associated with restructurings and divestitures on a timely basis; difficulty in integration of the operations of previously acquired companies, competition, and other factors described in the company's (and its affiliates') Securities and Exchange Commission filings. While the company makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that anticipated future results will be achieved. Reference must be made to those filings for additional important factors that may affect actual results. The company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by the company, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Additional Important Information

Prior to its 2003 annual meeting, El Paso will furnish to its shareholders El Paso's definitive proxy statement relating to this meeting, together with a WHITE proxy card. Shareholders are strongly advised to read this proxy statement when it becomes available, as it will contain important information.

Shareholders will be able to obtain El Paso's proxy statement, any amendments or supplements to the proxy statement and any other documents filed by El Paso with the Securities and Exchange Commission for free at the Internet Web site maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Copies of the proxy statement and any amendments and supplements to the proxy statement will also be available for free at El Paso's Internet Web site at www.elpaso.com or by writing to El Paso Corporation, Investor Relations, PO Box 2511, Houston, TX 77252. In addition, copies of the proxy materials may be requested by contacting our proxy solicitor, MacKenzie Partners, Inc. at (800) 322-2885 Toll-Free or by email at proxy@mackenziepartners.com.

To the extent that individual customers, independent industry researchers, financial analysts, or El Paso commissioned research, are quoted herein, it is El Paso's policy to use reasonable efforts to verify the source and accuracy of the quote. El Paso has not, however, sought or obtained the consent of the quoted source to the use of such quote as proxy soliciting material. This document may contain expressions of opinion and belief. Except as otherwise expressly attributed to another individual or entity, these opinions and beliefs are the opinions and beliefs of El Paso.

Information regarding the names, affiliation and interests of individuals who may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of El Paso's shareholders is contained in a Schedule 14A filed by El Paso with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 18, 2003.

SOURCE  El Paso Corporation
    -0-                             04/16/2003
    /CONTACT:  Communications and Government Affairs - Norma F. Dunn, Senior
Vice President, +1-713-420-3750, fax, +1-713-420-3632, or Investors - Bruce L.
Connery, Vice President, +1-713-420-5855, fax, +1-713-420-4417, both of El
Paso Corporation; or Joele Frank or Dan Katcher of Joele Frank, Wilkinson
Brimmer Katcher, +1-212-355-4449, fax, +1-212-355-4554, for El Paso
Corporation/
    /Web site:  http://www.elpaso.com /
    (EP)

CO:  El Paso Merchant Energy; El Paso Corporation; East Coast Power, L.L.C.;
     GS Linden Power Holdings LLC; Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
ST:  Texas
IN:  OIL UTI
SU:  TNM

KO 
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3859 04/16/2003 08:02 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com