COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2001 - Mark W. Marano has been named president and chief executive officer of AEP Gas Power Systems, a recently formed joint venture of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and G.A.S. Gas Capital Inc.

Marano joins AEP Gas Power Systems from the NUMANCO Group in Tulsa, Okla., where he served as president and chief executive officer. NUMANCO is a leading provider of specialized technical support services to the U.S. commercial nuclear industry. NUMANCO is majority-owned by AEP and is managed under the company´s Wholesale business unit.

"Mark brings a great deal of business management background to his role as president of our new joint venture," said Thomas V. Shockley, III, AEP´s vice chairman and chief operating officer. "We appreciate the contributions he made to NUMANCO after the completion of our merger with Central and South West Corp. We´re now anxious to focus his skills on the success of our latest new business venture."

AEP Gas Power Systems manufactures and markets the Innovator, a 1.2-megawatt generator powered by a Lycoming Turbine, the same turbine model that has more than 50 million hours of operation in military and industrial applications. The Innovator is a flexible source of electric power generation that provides industrial and commercial electricity customers with a reliable power source for applications where connections to global grid-based power supplies are unavailable or impractical.

The Innovator was recently on display at the Turbomachinery Symposium at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. AEP Gas Power Systems will also have a display at the World Energy Engineering Congress in Atlanta on Oct. 24-26.

Marano will continue to manage NUMANCO until a permanent replacement is named in the near future. Marano will be relocating to Columbus, Ohio, where AEP Gas Power Systems will be headquartered.

Before assuming his post with NUMANCO in August 2000, Marano served as director - business services for AEP´s Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, Mich. Marano came to the Cook Plant in February 1999 as part of the new senior management team assembled to assist with the restart of both Cook nuclear units. Prior to joining AEP, Marano was at Florida Power Corporation, where he served as director, Y2K contingency planning, in the company´s information technology department. He had previously served as director, nuclear site and business support, for Florida Power’s Crystal River 3 Nuclear Plant during its recovery effort.

From 1995 to 1997, he managed corrective action and quality services for Public Service Electric and Gas’s Hope Creek and Salem Nuclear Generating Stations.

Marano served as site support manager at Carolina Power and Light Company’s Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant, Southport, N.C., from 1994 to 1995 and served in a number of management roles at Florida Power and Light Company, from 1988 to 1994. He also worked in the government defense contracting business for four years in various business-related positions.

Marano holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from State University of New York College at Oswego and is completing the requirements for a master’s degree in business administration from the New York Institute of Technology.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP owns and operates more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, making it America’s largest generator of electricity. The company is also a leading wholesale energy marketer and trader, ranking second in the U.S. in electricity volume with a growing presence in natural gas. AEP provides retail electricity to more than 7 million customers worldwide and has holdings in the U.S. and select international markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications.

Founded in 1969, G.A.S. Capital´s other affiliates include General Aviation Services LLC, General Aviation Technologies, General Helicopters International Inc. and Jet Capital, as well as limited partnerships in aviation leasing and operations. G.A.S. Capital is based in Lake Zurich, Ill.