COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 21, 2003 - The American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) headquarters building at One Riverside Plaza is about to look a whole lot different after dark.

To celebrate the Cirque du Soleil^® performances of Dralion^TM that begin this week in the Arena District, AEP will light the northwest face of its headquarters building in shades of yellow and blue - the same colors as Cirque du Soleil’s Grand Chapiteau (“big top”).

AEP is the presenting sponsor for the Columbus debut of Dralion, which runs from July 24 through Aug. 17.

Temporary blue and yellow gel lights will augment the AEP building’s exterior lighting to create the new look. This lighting scheme will kick off Tuesday and will be maintained during evening and nighttime hours throughout the run of Dralion.

“We wanted to do something special to welcome Cirque du Soleil to Columbus,” said Nicholas J. Ashooh, AEP’s senior vice president - corporate communications. “We are thrilled that Cirque is bringing its fascinating and enchanting brand of entertainment to central Ohio.”

AEP is a sponsor of Cirque du Soleil’s 2003 North American Tours.

American Electric Power owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and select international markets and is the largest electricity generator in the U.S. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with almost 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.