GAHANNA, Ohio, Feb. 04, 2015 — Valley Converting Co. received a check yesterday for $20,772.74 from AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), for its participation in the company’s Continuous Energy Improvement (CEI) program. The program helps businesses identify and implement low cost/no cost measures and provides incentives to qualifying participants.

In 2014, Valley Converting in Toronto, Ohio, completed a year-long project to reduce energy use and save money utilizing low cost/no cost measures. The measures implemented will save the company approximately 1,038,637 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year and an estimated savings of more than $20,000 in energy costs each year.

Through the CEI Program, Valley Converting was able to identify a key energy saving measure – tuning the vacuum porting water removal pumps in the drying process – which resulted in the removal of a 200 HP motor and other periphery equipment that reduced electricity by approximately 100,000 kWh each month without impacting production.

“Valley Converting has always promoted a culture of sustainability through a strong connection to the local community and by emphasizing reuse and recycling efforts,” stated President Mike Biasi.

Since 2009, AEP Ohio has helped customers reduce power usage by 1,697 gigawatt-hours (GWh), saving more than $1 billion. AEP Ohio offers a variety of energy efficiency programs and discounts to help business and residential customers to stop wasting energy and start saving money. For more information, visit AEPOhio.com/Solutions (business) or AEPOhio.com/WasteLess (residents).

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AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiary Ohio Power Company in Ohio. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at aepohio.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 more than 40,000-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 and north Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. News releases and other information about AEP can be found at aep.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
AEP Ohio
Fay White
614-883-7999
aepohiomediarelations@aep.com