CEZ Group, Red Electrica De Espana Receive EEI International Utility Award for Outstanding Financial Results

London () - The Czech Republic-based CEZ Group and Red Eléctrica de España today were named winners of the EEI International Utility Award, which recognizes the most outstanding stock performance by European utilities in both large-cap and small-cap categories over a three-year period.

The international awards, presented at the Edison Electric Institute's 9th International Utility Conference, are based on peer-group analysis that values total return among 31 European electric utilities over a three-year period ending December 31, 2007. The award, in its second year, is designed to mirror the U.S.-based EEI Index Award, which since 1998 has recognized the large- and small-cap U.S. electric utilities posting the best total returns.

CEZ Group was the top ranking large-cap company for the second consecutive year. The company's 422-percent total return also was the highest among all European companies.  Fortum Oyj was the next highest large-cap with a return of 277 percent.

Red Eléctrica de España was the top ranking small-cap company with a total return of 203 percent. ACEA, the 2007 EEI small-cap winner, was the second-place finisher among small-cap electric utilities with a return of 115 percent.

CEZ Group ranks among the top 10 largest energy companies in Europe, both in terms of installed capacity and number of customers.  Operating in nine countries, it occupies a leading position on the Central European electricity market.  The company's recent success is the outcome of strategic acquisitions in Central and Southeastern Europe, the structure of its generation fleet and cost optimization strategies.

Red Eléctrica de España, the Spanish Transmission System Operator, has been a pioneer in the electricity transmission business. The company guarantees the reliability of the system at all times and the continuing supply of electricity, facilitating competition between generators and maximizing the integration of renewable energies. Red Eléctrica is listed on the four Spanish stocks exchanges and negotiated in the Spanish continuous market. Additionally, the company is represented in the country's principal stock index, the IBEX35, as it ranks among the largest 35 companies in Spain in terms of capitalization, liquidity and free float.

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The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies. Our members serve 95 percent of the ultimate customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, and represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry. We also have more than 65 International electric companies as Affiliate members, and more than 170 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate members.