ST. ALBANS, W.Va., June 11, 2002 - American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) today announced plans to construct new emission control systems on Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the John E. Amos Plant here. The new Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system will reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions on each unit by between 85 and 90 percent. AEP is reducing NOx emissions as part of its efforts to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

SCR uses a chemical reaction to break down the NOx present in exhaust gases that are released during the coal combustion process. NOx is broken down into elemental nitrogen and water. The SCR units will use a urea-to-ammonia system for the SCRs’ ammonia supply. This means large quantities of ammonia will not be shipped to or stored at the plant.

“This investment in the community will bring temporary construction jobs to our plant and will reinforce our environmental commitment,” said Plant Manager Ronald G. Young. “We continue to provide reliable, low-cost electricity in compliance with increasingly stringent federal and state emission regulations.”

Construction will begin immediately, and the SCR units are expected to be in service by May 2004.

An SCR unit was placed into service on Amos Plant Unit 3 in May 2002. SCRs for the three Amos units represent an investment of $346 million. AEP is spending approximately $1.6 billion for NOx reduction in the United States.

The additional SCRs will reduce total NOx emissions at Amos Plant to a level that meets new requirements of U.S. EPA and the State of West Virginia with a comfortable margin. Amos Units 1 and 2 are rated at 800 megawatts each, and Unit 3 is a 1,300-megawatt unit. At a total of 2,900 megawatts, Amos Plant is the largest power plant on the AEP system and one of the largest in the country.

AEP’s technical and professional services organization is serving as general contractor for the SCR construction project. Construction work on the project will utilize members of the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company with a balanced portfolio of energy assets. AEP, the United States’ largest electricity generator, owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. and select international markets. AEP is a leading wholesale energy marketer, ranking among North America’s top providers of wholesale power and natural gas with a growing wholesale presence in European markets. In addition to electricity generation, AEP owns and operates natural gas pipeline systems, natural gas storage, coal mines and the fourth-largest inland barge company 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 wires. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.