AEP Announces 12 More Schools to Join Fledgling Solar Schools Program

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 5, 1999 -- Eleven schools in Ohio and one in Texas have pledged to participate in the Solar Schools program, E. Linn Draper Jr., chairman, president and CEO of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) announced today.

Draper spoke at the National Town Meeting of the President´s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) in Detroit. Draper is a member of the PCSD.

The international Solar Schools program is a collaborative effort of AEP, BP Solar, the Foundation for Environmental Education, the federal and state governments and local communities. Bluffsview Elementary School in Worthington, Ohio, the first Solar School to go on line, dedicated its 2,000-watt photovoltaic (PV) system in early March.

"I am very pleased that the program has grown so quickly," Draper said. "We are making great progress towards our initial goal of recruiting 100 schools.

"We´re all using more electricity, so it´s important that renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal be part of the mix with coal-, natural gas- and nuclear-powered generation in this country. We all want to see a more environmentally conscientious America. Through the Solar Schools program, we touch the future when we teach children everywhere in the world that we can harness and use energy from the sun and other renewable resources. A more sustainable society is possible."

Anyone can track the energy output of each school´s PV system by logging onto the World Wide Web at http://www.aep.com/environmental/solar. Among its many functions, AEP´s Datapult(sm) Internet-based energy management technology allows viewers to track the energy demands of the school with the energy output of the system.

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.