COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 5, 2006 – Columbus Southern Power and Ohio Power, subsidiaries of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), collectively AEP Ohio, are considering their options in response to today’s Ohio Supreme Court decision regarding one aspect, related to the competitive bid option issue, of AEP Ohio’s rate stabilization plan.

In its order, the Ohio Supreme Court vacated AEP Ohio’s rate stabilization plan and remanded it to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for further proceedings, similar to the court’s May 3 remand of FirstEnergy’s rate stabilization plan.  AEP Ohio has until July 15 to file a request for reconsideration.

“We are exploring our options; however, we believe that AEP Ohio’s rate stabilization plan provides significant value for our Ohio customers by offering price stability,” said Kevin E. Walker, AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer.  “It’s our belief that existing rates will remain in effect, and we certainly plan to participate in any commission proceedings as contemplated in the court’s decision.  We believe that a move to competitively bid market-based rates would be detrimental to our customers.”

AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia.  AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power.

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.