ROANOKE, Va., July 2, 2008 – Appalachian Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), has asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) for permission to offer its Virginia customers voluntary pricing options to use and support renewable energy.

The company hopes to offer the new options September 1.
“Appalachian Power recognizes that many customers support the development of renewable energy,” said Dana Waldo, Appalachian Power president and chief operating officer. “Adding the Renewable Power Rider to the company’s Virginia tariff gives those customers an opportunity to voluntarily support increased use of renewable resources for electric generation in a simple manner through their monthly electric bills.”

Under the program, customers may choose to support the use of renewable energy through the purchase of fixed blocks of 100 kilowatt-hours (KWH) each month or to source their entire monthly usage through the purchase of an amount equivalent to their monthly energy (KWH) consumption.

Customers selecting a specific number of blocks will pay an additional $1.50 over their usual power costs for each 100 KWH block of renewable energy they choose to support. For customers purchasing an amount equivalent to their monthly consumption, the additional cost is 1.5-cents per KWH. The company will include this cost as a separate line item on each participating customer’s monthly bill.

For example, a residential customer using 1000 KWH of energy in a month and selecting the first option and four 100 KWH blocks will pay an additional $6.00, or a total of approximately $77.48 for the month using current rates. Under the second option, the same customer selecting a full equivalent usage amount would pay an additional $15.00, or a total bill of about $86.48 under current rates.

The program will initially use energy and renewable energy credits (REC) associated with the Summersville (W.Va.) Hydro Plant, a certified Low Impact facility from which the company currently purchases power.

The Renewable Power Rider will be available to any residential or non-residential customer.

“This proposed rider is consistent with our previously filed plan to meet the goals of Virginia’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. It is also consistent with the company’s long term use of renewable hydro power and wind generation for our customers and our leadership role in support of new clean-coal technology,” Waldo noted. “We expect this proposal and our other renewable efforts to evolve and grow over time.”

Appalachian Power is awaiting approval from the West Virginia Public Service Commission to establish a similar provision for its customers there.

The SCC will assign and publish a case number and schedules, including public comments, for this case. Related documents will be found on the Commission’s Web site at www.scc.virginia.gov.

In addition to the positive environmental effects derived from the proposed availability of the renewable energy pricing option, Appalachian Power customers are urged to visit the company’s Web site at www.AppalachianPower.com to learn about other energy saving ideas. Included on the site is an interactive Energy Calculator that allows customers to see how easy changes made to homes and businesses can help manage energy costs more efficiently.

Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 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.
 

 
 

 
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