BRIDGMAN, Mich., Dec 20, 2003 - A leak Friday evening in a filter for a system that supplies water to the reactor coolant pump seals at American Electric Power´s (NYSE: AEP) Cook Nuclear Plant Unit 2 resulted in a brief entry into the plant´s emergency plan. An unusual event, the lowest classification level, was declared for about 90 minutes until the filter was bypassed and the leak isolated.

The unit was at 100 percent power when the 30 gallon-per-minute leak was discovered and power was not reduced. The water was collected by the floor drain in the room and contained in the waste water system. No radioactive water was released from the system or to the atmosphere.

Notification of the brief entry and exit into the emergency plan was made to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state and county emergency management agencies.

Cook Unit 1 was unaffected and remains at 100 percent power.

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.