COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 22, 2008 – John F. Turner, former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) and former head of The Conservation Fund, has been elected to American Electric Power’s (NYSE: AEP) board of directors, according to Michael G. Morris, AEP’s chairman, president and chief executive officer.

With the election of Turner, AEP’s board now consists of 12 directors, 11 of whom are outside directors. Morris is the only inside director.

“John Turner has excelled at bringing together companies and government agencies in innovative ways to address environmental issues. With AEP’s focus on operating our business in a more sustainable way, John’s experience in advancing environmental initiatives makes him a very valuable addition to our board," Morris said.

Turner, 66, was Assistant Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005 and received the Department of State’s Distinguished Honor Award from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Before serving at the State Department, Turner was president and chief executive officer of The Conservation Fund. He also was director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Turner served as a member of the Wyoming State Legislature for 19 years and is a past president of the Wyoming State Senate.

Currently, Turner is a visiting professor at the University of Wyoming in the School of Environment & Natural Resources and is a managing partner of The Triangle X Ranch, located in Moose, Wyo. He also serves as a director of Ashland Inc., International Paper and Peabody Energy Co.

A native of Moose, Wyo., Turner has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Michigan.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.