COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 29, 2001 - American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) today reported the estimated amounts of 23 chemicals released to air, water and land in 2000 from 36 gas-, oil- and coal-fired power plants.

Electric utilities have been required to report such releases annually under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) since 1998. The information is provided to EPA each July. EPA compiles the data for all industries and releases it to the public the following spring.

AEP’s reportable releases totaled 110.4 million pounds in 2000, compared with 109.3 million pounds in 1999. View TRI data for chemical releases from specific AEP power plants, total AEP system releases and descriptions of the chemicals.

“AEP’s releases are tied directly to the amount of electricity generated and coal consumed,” said Dale Heydlauff, AEP senior vice president - environmental affairs. “In 2000, AEP plants generated more than 206 billion kilowatthours for our customers using a variety of fuels, including 76.7 million tons of coal.

“It is not surprising that AEP’s TRI numbers are high in volume, given that we are the nation’s largest generator of electricity and that we use a large amount of coal. It is important to note that EPA’s report to Congress in 1998 indicates that generally, emissions from utilities, while high in volume, are low in risk to public health.”

EPA’s web site addressing TRI observes, “This information alone does not indicate the risks that these chemicals pose or may pose to human health and the environment. Small releases of highly toxic chemicals may be a greater risk than very large releases of less toxic chemicals. Though the TRI data is useful to evaluate the risk in your community, other information is required to form a complete picture. A determination of risk depends on the release conditions, extent of exposure, environmental conditions, and other factors.”

Companies across all industrial sectors are required for the first time under the TRI program to report year 2000 releases of mercury, dioxin and other new chemicals, if they meet new reporting thresholds. AEP has reported its mercury releases on its Internet site since 1998. Information about dioxin and other chemical releases reported for the first time by AEP is on the AEP web site.

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.