COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 30, 2006 – American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) is featured in the June edition of Working Mother magazine as one of the 12 “best companies for women of color.” The national publication targets mothers with careers.

AEP provides summer internships for minorities, women and disadvantaged youths, according to the magazine, which also highlights AEP’s diversity education and recognition programs and its encouragement of employee participation in mentoring and networking initiatives.

“We’re thrilled to be recognized nationally by Working Mother Media for our efforts to support work-force diversity and a better work/life balance for all AEP employees,” said Michael G. Morris, AEP’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The programs that help support women of color and mothers actually benefit everyone who works at AEP.”

“The theme of our diversity program is Everyone Counts,” said Mary Cofer, AEP’s director of diversity and culture. “We’ve worked hard to create a strong program, and we’re continuously trying to improve it.”

AEP is the only central Ohio-based company on Working Mother’s list. Other companies recognized are Allstate, American Express, Deloitte & Touche, General Mills, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, MetLife, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble and Verizon Communications.

The honored firms will be formally recognized at the Women of Color Multicultural Conference sponsored by Working Mother Media in New York City July 18-19.

Candidates for the honor provided information about employee population, advancement programs and workplace culture for women of color.

In 2002 and 2004, Working Mother selected AEP as one of the 100 best companies for working mothers. And ESSENCE magazine recognized AEP in 2003, 2004 and 2005 as one of the “best places to work” for women and people of color.

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 36,000 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 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). American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2006.