COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 12, 1999 -- E. Linn Draper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP), has been elected to serve on the board of The Nature Conservancy.

Draper was elected to the board during its annual meeting held Sept. 22 and 23. He will serve on the finance and international committees of the international land conservation group.

"Under Linn Draper´s leadership, AEP has positioned itself as an innovative leader in addressing the complex environmental issues that face the energy industry," said John C. Sawhill, president and chief executive officer of The Nature Conservancy. "We look forward to the valuable perspective and experience Linn Draper will bring to our board."

"It is an honor to work with an organization that shares AEP´s commitment to environmental stewardship," Draper said. "AEP´s involvement in preserving the natural habitats of plants and animals will continue, along with our other environmental efforts."

Draper became president of AEP in March 1992 and was appointed to his current position with AEP in March 1993. Draper received a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Rice University, and a doctorate in nuclear science and engineering from Cornell University.

AEP, The Nature Conservancy and Fundacion Amigos de la Naturaleza were honored by the White House in 1997 for a joint project to protect an endangered area of Bolivia´s tropical forest. The goal of the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project is to protect 5 million acres of endangered tropical forest and promote sustainable development in and around the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in the province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Protecting the large tract of tropical forest will offset carbon dioxide emissions. The project will continue for 30 years.

The Nature Conservancy is an international, nonprofit organization that protects plants, animals and natural communities by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Working with partners, the Conservancy has helped protect nearly 10 million acres in the United States and more than 55 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Asia/Pacific region. Additional information on The Nature Conservancy may be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.tnc.org.

AEP, a global energy company, is one of the United States´ largest investor-owned utilities, providing energy to 3 million customers in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. AEP has holdings in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Australia. Wholly owned subsidiaries provide power engineering, energy consulting and energy management services around the world. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio. On Dec. 22, 1997, AEP announced a definitive merger agreement for a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction with Central and South West Corp., a public utility holding company based in Dallas.