AEP FORMS NEW ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS
AND ADVANCED GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 19, 2000 -- American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) has announced the creation of a new organization that will allow the company to take a leadership role in the development and commercialization of new and emerging renewable energy options and power generation technologies.

Martin L. (Marty) Mearhoff, 43, has been named vice president of renewable energy and advanced technologies reporting to John F. Norris, senior vice president, operations & technical services. Mearhoff has more than 20 years of experience in utility operations and has held key management positions in AEP´s power generation organization, including an assignment as head of the company´s environmental services department. Most recently, Mearhoff was vice president of electrical/mechanical engineering for AEP Pro Serv, Inc., the company´s professional and technical services subsidiary.

"Marty´s background and experience mesh well with our goals and objectives for this new strategic initiative," said Norris. "AEP has always tried to protect the environment while providing reliable energy at low cost. This new initiative will help position AEP as a world leader in environmentally friendly energy solutions."

Reporting to Mearhoff will be Mario Marrocco as director, renewable energy and advanced power systems and Bob Gellenbeck as director, advanced environmental controls.

Marrocco´s organization will assess the technical feasibility and commercial viability of new and emerging renewable energy technologies including solar, wind, biomass and landfill gas, as well as distributed generation options such as fuel cells and microturbines. The group will evaluate and structure AEP´s involvement in developing and commercializing the technologies in the energy marketplace. The group will also provide green energy solutions to the needs of institutional, commercial and industrial customers. Marrocco was previously manager of the performance and analytical section in the electrical/mechanical engineering department.

Gellenbeck´s organization will make similar assessments of the viability of emerging emission control technologies to reduce or eliminate the release of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and other emissions from the company´s fossil-fueled power plants. Like the renewable energy organization, Gellenbeck´s group will also evaluate and structure AEP´s involvement in the development and commercialization of new technologies. Gellenbeck was previously manager of the steam generation and air pollution control equipment section in electrical/mechanical engineering.

Mearhoff began his career with AEP in 1979 as an associate engineer in the plant engineering division in Canton, Ohio. He was promoted to a series of positions of increasing responsibility, and in 1993 was named manager of the controls section in the plant services division. Mearhoff was promoted to manager of the environmental engineering division in 1994, and was named to head the environmental services department in 1995. In 1997, he became manager of the mechanical engineering division and in 1999, Mearhoff was promoted to manager of the combined electrical and mechanical engineering division. Earlier this year, Mearhoff became vice president of electrical/mechanical engineering for AEP´s professional services organization, AEP Pro Serv, Inc.

Mearhoff received his bachelor´s degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State University, a master´s in mechanical engineering from the University of Akron and an MBA from Kent State University. He is also a registered professional engineer in the state of Ohio. Mearhoff attended the AEP/OSU management development program in 1982 and the University of Virginia’s Darden Partnership Program in 1996

Gellenbeck, 43, joined AEP through its Columbus-based operating subsidiary in 1980. In 1986 he served as the lead engineer on the engineering and design of the flue gas desulfurization unit on the Zimmer Conversion Project. In 1993, he became manager of a combined chemical engineering and precipitator group that developed and installed an advanced wastewater treatment system at the company´s Clinch River Plant. In 1999 he was assigned to lead the steam generation and air pollution control equipment section. Gellenbeck holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Akron.

Marrocco, 55, has more than 25 years of service with AEP. Over the course of his career he has held a number of managerial positions within the company´s generation engineering organization. He was named manager – piping vales in 1996 and became manager of the performance and analytical section of electric/mechanical engineering in 1999. Marrocco holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Newark (NJ) College of Engineering.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP is one of the United States´ largest generators of electricity with more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity. AEP is also one of the nation´s leading wholesale energy marketers and traders. AEP delivers electricity to more than 4.8 million customers in 11 states -- Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The company serves more than 4 million customers outside the U.S. through holdings in Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications.
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