N@N

TRANSCANADA: TransCanada Declares Quarterly Dividends Board Approves 6 Per Cent Increase to Common Share Dividend

_{//stocks-investing.news-articles.net/content/200 .. -per-cent-increase-to-common-share-dividend.html}
^{Published in Stocks and Investing on Tuesday, February 3rd 2009 at 8:35 GMT, Last Modified on 2009-02-03 08:36:58 by Market Wire}  

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Feb. 3, 2009) - TransCanada Corporation (TSX:TRP)(NYSE:TRP) (TransCanada) today announced in its fourth quarter 2008 news release that the Board of Directors of TransCanada declared a quarterly dividend of $0.38 per common share for the quarter ending March 31, 2009, a six per cent increase over the $0.36 per share paid in each of the previous four quarters. The common share dividend is payable on April 30, 2009 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 31, 2009.

The Board of Directors also approved the issuance of common shares from treasury at a three per cent discount under TransCanada's Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP), for the common share dividend payable on April 30, 2009. Dividends on TransCanada PipeLines Limited (TCPL) outstanding preferred shares are also eligible to participate in the DRP.

Also announced today, the Board of Directors declared the following regular dividends on TCPL's preferred shares:

- Dividend Number 42 was declared on the outstanding Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares Series U in the amount of $0.70 per share for the period ending April 30, 2009. The dividend is payable on April 30, 2009, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 31, 2009.

- Dividend Number 41 was declared on the outstanding Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares Series Y in the amount of $0.70 per share for the period ending May 1, 2009. The dividend is payable on May 1, 2009 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 31, 2009.

These dividends are designated by the Companies (TransCanada and TCPL) to be eligible dividends for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and any similar provincial or territorial legislation. An enhanced dividend tax credit applies to eligible dividends paid to Canadian residents.

With more than 50 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas pipelines, power generation, gas storage facilities, and projects related to oil pipelines and LNG facilities. TransCanada's network of wholly owned pipelines extends more than 59,000 kilometres (36,500 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with approximately 370 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns, or has interests in, over 10,900 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP.

Note: All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless noted otherwise.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain certain information that is forward looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "should", "estimate", "project", "outlook", "forecast" or other similar words are used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada shareholders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future financial and operations plans and outlook. Forward-looking statements in this document may include, among others, statements regarding the anticipated business prospects and financial performance of TransCanada and its subsidiaries, expectations or projections about the future, and strategies and goals for growth and expansion. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made. Actual results or events may differ from those predicted in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, the ability of TransCanada to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, the operating performance of the Company's pipeline and energy assets, the availability and price of energy commodities, regulatory processes and decisions, changes in environmental and other laws and regulations, competitive factors in the pipeline and energy industry sectors, construction and completion of capital projects, labour, equipment and material costs, access to capital markets, interest and currency exchange rates, technological developments and the current economic conditions in North America. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties, which could cause TransCanada's actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed. Additional information on these and other factors is available in the reports filed by TransCanada with Canadian securities regulators and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release or otherwise, and to not use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.