COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 7, 2012 – American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) is the lone utility company among the top 50 organizations for executive women, as rated by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE). The survey evaluates organizations based on work force profile, women’s issues and advancement, and company culture.

AEP is one of four Ohio-based corporations to make this year’s list for providing programs and policies that support women’s advancement and having significant female representation in senior management and on the company’s board of directors.

“We’ve long recognized that continued success requires an inclusive and diverse work force that includes women in the board room and in leadership positions throughout our organization of nearly 19,000 employees,” said Nicholas K. Akins, AEP president and chief executive officer. “We value this recognition by NAFE as it reflects our strong commitment to attracting and retaining talented women while providing all of our employees with opportunities to grow and develop with AEP.”

This is the fourth time (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012) AEP has been named to NAFE’s list of top companies for women executives. NAFE is affiliated with Working Mother magazine, which also has recognized AEP as one of the best companies for multicultural women in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and one of the 100 best companies for working mothers in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

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 39,000 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.