HERE IS A SPECIAL NEWS RELEASE FROM AEP/SWEPCO

AEP SWEPCO Provides Update

on Proposed Turk Power Plant

SHREVEPORT, La., April 22, 2008 – Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), has provided an update on site work at the proposed John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant as the company works toward approval of the air permit needed to begin construction.

The 600-megawatt coal-fueled power plant is planned for a 2,875-acre site in Hempstead County in southwest Arkansas. SWEPCO will own 440 megawatts of the plant’s capacity.

 “Two major activities that will begin in the next two months will be timber harvesting and delivery of steel and large equipment,” said Venita McCellon-Allen, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer. “This will involve additional truck activity in the area, so we want our neighbors to know what’s happening and to take care on area roads.”

Beginning in late April and continuing for four to five months, some of the timber will be harvested to clear additional portions of the property. The site, purchased from Weyerhaeuser, was operated as a pine plantation for many years. In May and June, SWEPCO will begin receiving the boiler building structural steel and boiler duct work.

“We want to emphasize that these pre-construction activities are allowed by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and are taking place in areas not requiring U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits,” Venita McCellon-Allen said. “Actual construction cannot begin until an air permit is received from the ADEQ, which is expected in the third quarter of 2008. We continue to work with ADEQ as they complete the important details of the air permit process,” McCellon-Allen said.

“We believe it is prudent to be ready to start construction as soon as we receive authorization. The delivery of materials and other pre-construction steps will help us manage project costs and place the plant in service as soon as possible,” McCellon-Allen said.

“This project has received widespread support in the area, and we are committed to keeping local residents informed,” McCellon-Allen said. “While intervenors in the Arkansas proceedings have questioned our work at the site, we want to assure everyone that it is allowed and that regulators are aware of these pre-construction activities.”

The Arkansas Public Service Commission approved SWEPCO’s request to build the plant on Nov. 21, 2007, and declined a request by certain intervenors in the case for rehearing on Dec. 31, 2007. Intervenors have since appealed the case to the Arkansas Court of Appeals, where it is pending. The Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously approved SWEPCO’s request for certification on March 19, 2008. The company’s request is pending before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which will continue hearings in May.

SWEPCO serves more than 464,000 customers in three states, including 112,000 in western Arkansas, 176,000 in Northwest Louisiana, and 176,000 in East and North Texas. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at www.swepco.com.

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 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. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. 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). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. News releases and other information about AEP can be found at www.aep.com.