COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 8, 1999 – The Pushan Power Plant, owned by American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) subsidiary AEP Resources Inc. and two Chinese enterprises, has begun full commercial operation.

The plant, which consists of two 125-megawatt coal-fired generating units, is located in central China near Nanyang City, Henan Province. The plant is owned and operated by Nanyang General Light Electric Co. Ltd., a joint venture between AEP Pushan Power LDC (a subsidiary of AEP Resources), Henan Electric Power Development Co. and Nanyang City Hengsheng Development Co. Ltd. The AEP Resources subsidiary holds a 70 percent interest in the joint venture, with an investment of approximately $110 million. Each of the other parties holds a 15 percent interest.

Pushan Power Plant Unit 2 was synchronized into the power grid on April 7 after completing rigorous testing and was placed into commercial service June 1. Unit 1 ended its testing phase and began commercial operation in February.

"We´re pleased that we completed construction and can begin commercial operation ahead of schedule," said Donald M. Clements Jr., president of AEP Resources. When the project was announced, the joint venture expected Unit 1 to be operational 27 months after construction began, with Unit 2 becoming operational five months later. Construction began in March 1997, with Unit 1 becoming operational in 24 months and Unit 2 in 28 months.

AEP Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Electric Power, pursues a significant presence in selected energy markets with supporting assets globally. The company manages global developments from its offices in Columbus, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Houston; London; Singapore; Toronto; Beijing; and Sydney, Australia.

American Electric power, 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, Ohio. On Dec. 22, 1997, AEP announced a definitive merger agreement for a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction with Central and South West Corp., a public utility holding company based in Dallas.