COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 12, 2003 - American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) today joined Climate Leaders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary government/industry partnership to address climate change. AEP’s previously announced voluntary commitment to reduce or offset its greenhouse gas emissions 4 percent by 2006 will serve as the company’s initial Climate Leaders’ reduction goal. The company will work with U.S. EPA and the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) on a post-2006 emissions control commitment.

The U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders Program challenges businesses to develop a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory and set aggressive, long-term emissions reduction goals. AEP announced in early 2003 that the company would voluntarily reduce or offset its greenhouse gas emissions by 4 percent by 2006. The reductions begin in 2003 with a 1 percent reduction from the company’s baseline emissions (average 1998-2001 emissions, or about 165 million metric tons) and include an additional 1 percent reduction each year, reaching 4 percent by 2006. Through this commitment, AEP expects to reduce or offset approximately 16.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions (equal to a cumulative reduction of 10 percent over the four year period 2003-2006). As a Climate Leader, AEP will report annually its progress on reaching this target and its annual emissions of greenhouse gases.

AEP expects to meet its greenhouse gas reduction commitment cost-effectively through a broad portfolio of actions, potentially including power plant efficiency improvements, renewable generation such as wind and biomass co-firing, off-system greenhouse gas reduction projects, reforestation projects and purchases of credits through CCX.

"AEP has been addressing the global climate change issue since the early 1990s when we participated in the Department of Energy Climate Challenge Program and have worked with other environmental and governmental organizations on climate change initiatives since then," said Dale Heydlauff, AEP senior vice president-governmental and environmental affairs. "We’re pleased to join Climate Leaders and support this Administration’s efforts to address this important issue."

In accepting AEP’s Climate Leader commitment, EPA recognized the company’s continued focus on climate change issues. "EPA applauds AEP, the largest generator of electricity in the U.S., for its leadership and continued commitment to addressing emissions of greenhouse gases," said Kathleen Hogan, Director, Climate Protection Partnerships Division, U.S. EPA.

AEP is a founding member and the only U.S. utility participating in the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary, greenhouse gas trading program. AEP also is the world’s leader in demonstrating the effectiveness of forest carbon sequestration having invested more than $25 million to help develop technologies for accurately monitoring and verifying the carbon absorbed by forests, while at the same time protecting and enhancing more than 4.5 million acres of the some of the world’s most biologically diverse wildlife habitats.

Additionally, AEP invested in and hosted the nation’s first major research project to prove the efficacy of geologic disposal of carbon dioxide emissions. The company has also committed to an alliance of companies proposing to develop President Bush’s $1 billion FutureGen initiative and demonstrate the world’s first nearly emission-free, coal-based electric and hydrogen production plant.

Developing a more diverse fuel portfolio and improving the efficiency of its generating fleet are other steps AEP has taken to address the impact of its business on the global climate. Today, AEP is one of the largest wind generators in the U.S., and its coal-fired plants produce less carbon dioxide per kilowatthour of electricity generated than most similar facilities.

American Electric Power owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and select international markets and is the largest electricity generator in the U.S. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with almost 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.

# # #

The comments set forth above include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although AEP and its registrant subsidiaries believe that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any such statements may be influenced by factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are: electric load and customer growth; abnormal weather conditions; available sources and costs of fuels; availability of generating capacity; the speed and degree to which competition is introduced to the company’s service territories; the ability to recover stranded costs in connection with deregulation; new legislation and government regulation including requirements for reduced emissions of sulfur, nitrogen, carbon and other substances; pending as future rate cases and negotiations; oversight and/or investigation of the energy sector or its participants; the company’s ability to successfully control costs; the success of acquiring new business ventures and disposing of existing investments that no longer match the company’s corporate profile; international and country-specific developments affecting foreign investments including the disposition of any current foreign investments and potential additional foreign investments; the economic climate and growth in the company’s service territory and changes in market demand and demographic patterns; inflationary trends; accounting pronouncements periodically issued by accounting standard-setting bodies; the performance of AEP’s pension plan; electricity and gas market prices; interest rates; liquidity in the banking, capital and wholesale power markets; actions of rating agencies; changes in technology, including the increased use of distributed generation within the company’s transmission and distribution service territory; and other risks and unforeseen events, including wars, the effects of terrorism, embargoes and other catastrophic events.