GAHANNA, Ohio(Sept. 19, 2008) – AEP Ohio announced plans today to provide a total of $100,000 to relief agencies across the state that have helped customers who lost electric service following the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
 
"We plan to donate these funds to identified agencies across AEP Ohio´s service territory that have offered comfort and aid to our customers over the past several days," said AEP Ohio President Joe Hamrock. "These organizations have provided shelter, food and water during this very difficult period.
 
"We hope the donations will help lessen the financial impact these agencies have incurred to assist thousands of our customers," Hamrock said. "Their presence in our communities has been a huge benefit to many families this week."
 
The recipients will include Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, and Emergency Management Agency locations throughout AEP Ohio territory. Distribution of funds will occur following the completion of restoration efforts.
 
AEP Ohio continues working hard to restore power as quickly and safely as possible and appreciates its customers´ patience. As of noon today, more than 580,000 customers have had power restored. At the height of the storm, nearly 700,000 customers were without electricity.
 
AEPOhio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio. The company serves all or part of 61 counties in Ohio and two in West Virginia.

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.