COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 1, 2004 – PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization (RTO) based in Valley Forge, Pa., assumed functional control of American Electric Power’s (NYSE: AEP) eastern transmission grid of nearly 22,300 transmission miles at midnight.
AEP will continue to own its transmission system.
  “Our membership in PJM will provide economic benefits and help improve transmission system reliability for customers throughout the 12-state PJM region,” said Michael G. Morris, AEP’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “It also provides a boost to competition among wholesale electricity suppliers.
            “We are impressed with the capabilities of PJM’s staff, and we look forward to working with them,” Morris said.
            “AEP’s successful integration into PJM results from the dedicated efforts of hundreds of employees at both companies,” said J. Calvin Crowder, managing director – RTO integration for AEP. “The cooperation and coordination they have demonstrated stand to serve us well going forward.”
              PJM ensures the reliability of the high-voltage electric power system serving 44 million people in all of parts of Delaware, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. PJM coordinates and directs the operation of the region’s transmission grid; administers a competitive wholesale electricity market, the world’s largest; and plans regional transmission expansion improvements to maintain grid reliability and relieve congestion. More information about PJM is available at www.pjm.com.
               American Electric Power owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and is the nation’s largest electricity generator. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.