COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 1, 2003 - American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) has received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of the agency´s ongoing investigation of energy trading activities.

In August, AEP announced it had received an informal request for data from the SEC asking the company to voluntarily provide documents related to "round-trip" or "wash" trades. AEP fully complied with that request. The subpoena, received late Monday, requests additional information and is part of the SEC´s formal investigation process. AEP will continue to cooperate with the SEC.

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.