Columbus, Ohio, and Dallas, March 17, 2000 -- Paul J. Brower, general manager and president of West Texas Utilities Co., has been named to the newly created position of Michigan president for American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP), according to William J. Lhota, executive vice president. West Texas Utilities, based in Abilene, Texas, is a subsidiary of Central and South West Corp. (NYSE:CSR), which is scheduled to complete a merger with AEP this spring. As state president, Brower, 51, will build and maintain relationships with regulators, legislators, consumers and other external stakeholders who have an impact on AEP activities in Michigan. His office will be in Lansing. "Michigan is well on its way to deregulating its electric utility industry. AEP must have an active role in legislative discussions on competition since we have 125,000 customers in the state, along with considerable assets, including the Cook nuclear plant, and an extensive distribution and transmission network," Lhota said. "Paul has proven to be extremely capable in developing strong relationships with state and local officials in Texas and Oklahoma, and we are confident he will have the same success in Michigan. During his tenure at West Texas Utilities Co., he helped solidify the utility's reputation as an active and concerned member of the community. Under Paul's leadership, West Texas Utilities Co. was recognized by the Public Utility Commission of Texas for providing exceptional customer service during one of Texas' hottest summer seasons," Lhota said. Brower's staff will include a governmental affairs manager, corporate communications manager and administrative support. Greg Clark, governmental affairs manager for Michigan, will relocate from his office in Fort Wayne, Ind., to the Lansing office to continue his work with the Michigan legislature. Brower joined CSW in 1976 as a sales representative for Public Service Company of Oklahoma. He held numerous positions, including corporate sales manager and division manager. He moved to West Texas Utilities Co. in 1991 and served as general manager and vice president - marketing and business development. He was promoted to his present position in 1998. A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Brower received a bachelor's degree in marketing and management in 1976 from Northeastern Oklahoma State University in Tahlequah. He served in the U.S. Navy and is a Vietnam veteran. AEP and CSW announced their intention to merge on Dec. 22, 1997, and are awaiting approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Upon completion of the merger, the new company will be called American Electric Power. CSW is a global, diversified public utility holding company based in Dallas. CSW owns four electric operating subsidiaries serving 1.7 million customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas; a regional electricity company in the United Kingdom; other international energy operations and non-utility subsidiaries involved in energy-related investments, telecommunications, energy efficiency and financial transactions. 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.