Columbus, Ohio, and Dallas, Feb. 8, 2000 -- American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) Chairman E. Linn Draper Jr. today announced Thomas V. Shockley III, president and chief operating officer, Central and South West Corp. (NYSE: CSR), Dallas, will become vice chairman of AEP, and named his executive management team, pending approval of the companies´ merger this spring.

“Tom Shockley´s business sense and CSW experience will speed the integration of AEP and CSW,” Draper said. “Tom brings new ideas and strong management skills that will help blend our two companies into a cohesive energy company that will be a dynamic leader in the energy industry."

AEP and CSW announced their intention to merge on Dec. 22, 1997. Approvals that remain include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Upon completion of the merger, the new company will be called American Electric Power.

“I believe the talented people selected for the executive management team are among the very best in their areas of expertise,” Draper said. “In recent years, our management group has been positioning the company to win in a competitive energy marketplace while improving the efficiency of our core regulated business. These individuals possess a strategic business focus that will renew AEP’s momentum and help the company realize its vision to become the world’s premier supplier of energy and related products in the 21st century.

“I look forward to working with each member of the team to reap rewards for our customers, shareholders and employees,” he added.

Shockley, 54, will report to Draper and will be in charge of corporate integration, competitive readiness/customer choice and strategic planning. Shockley joined CSW subsidiary Central Power and Light Company in 1970 as an engineer and worked in the planning, industrial marketing and fuels departments until 1977 when he left to enter private business. He rejoined the company in 1983 and has held a number of positions during his tenure. In 1993, he was named president and chief executive officer of CSW Enterprises and was named as president and COO in 1997. A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Shockley received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Texas A & I University and a master of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Members of the executive management team are:

Paul D. Addis, 46, executive vice president, AEP Service Corporation and president - AEP Energy Services Inc., was selected executive vice president - Wholesale, in June 1999. He is responsible for energy trading, unregulated North American and international wholesale asset development, operations and engineering services and wholesale support. Addis joined AEP in 1997 and was initially responsible for building the company’s national energy trading and marketing business. In January 2000, he assumed responsibility for AEP’s non-nuclear power generation plants. Prior to joining AEP, Addis was president of Duke/Louis Dreyfus L.L.C. and Louis Dreyfus Electric Power Inc. Addis received a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota, Graduate School of Public Health.

Donald M. Clements Jr., 50, AEP executive vice president - Corporate Development and president - AEP Resources Inc., AEP Resources International Ltd., AEP Communications Inc. and AEP Investments Inc., will continue his responsibilities in corporate development activities that include new ventures, energy information, mergers and acquisitions and overseas subsidiaries development and management. Clements joined AEP in 1994 as senior vice president - corporate development. Before he came to AEP, Clements was senior vice president of external affairs for Gulf States Utilities in Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University and a juris doctorate from the University of Houston.

Henry W. Fayne, 53, AEP executive vice president - Financial Services and chief financial officer, was selected chief financial officer and executive vice president, Finance and Analysis. His area of responsibility includes planning and budgeting, auditing, risk management and the treasurer and controller. Fayne came to AEP in 1974 and progressed through several positions with increasing responsibility. He was named executive vice president in 1998. Fayne holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia College and a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University.

William J. Lhota, 60, AEP executive vice president, was named president of the North American Energy Delivery business unit and executive vice president, AEP Service Corporation. The business unit will be responsible for transmission and distribution of energy, distribution customer interfaces and services, and regulatory planning and budgeting for what will become an 11-state service area after the merger is completed. Lhota began his career with AEP in 1965 and has held a number of positions with increasing responsibility. He was elected executive vice president in 1993. In 1996, he was assigned responsibility for the energy delivery and customer relations organization. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The Ohio State University, and a master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Sloan Fellow.

Robert P. Powers, 45, AEP senior vice president - Nuclear Generation, will continue as senior vice president, Nuclear Generation. He will oversee the Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, Mich., and AEP’s post-merger interest in the South Texas Project, Bay City, Texas. Before joining AEP in 1998, Powers was vice president and plant manager of Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Generating Station near San Louis Obispo, Calif. Powers earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tufts University in Boston and a master’s degree in radiological hygiene from the University of North Carolina.

Susan Tomasky, 46, AEP executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, will retain those titles in the new organization. Her areas of responsibility will be legal, governmental affairs, policy development, environmental policy, the state presidents and corporate communications. Before she came to AEP in 1998, Tomasky was a partner with the Washington, D.C., office of Hogan & Hartson where she was a member of the firm’s Energy Group. Tomasky also served as general counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 1993 to 1997. She is an honors graduate from the University of Kentucky and the George Washington University National Law Center, where she earned a juris doctorate and was a member of the Law Review.

Joseph H. Vipperman, 59, AEP executive vice president, Corporate Services, was named executive vice president, Shared Services. He will oversee areas that include human resources, information technology, supply chain (procurement and purchasing) and general services. Vipperman began his career with AEP in 1962 as an electrical engineer and has held various positions of increasing responsibility. Before being named executive vice president - corporate services, he was named executive vice president for energy delivery in 1996. Vipperman earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a master’s degree in industrial management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a Sloan Fellow.

Shockley and the executive management team will report directly to Draper. Executives of each company will continue in their current roles until the merger is completed.

Central and South West Corp. is a global, diversified public utility holding company based in Dallas. CSW owns four electric operating subsidiaries serving 1.7 million customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas; a regional electricity company in the United Kingdom; other international energy operations and non-utility subsidiaries involved in energy-related investments, telecommunications, energy efficiency and financial transactions.

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.

Photo´s of these individuals are available for viewing at the AEP on-line photo library.