COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 21, 2000 -- AEP Retail Energy LLC is offering an alternative to Richmond-area electricity consumers: electricity generated from a 100% renewable fuel source.

What’s more, AEP Retail Energy will make a $25 donation to the Foundation for Environmental Education for each of the first 1,000 customers who chooses AEP Retail Energy. These donations will be used to install a solar panels learning lab at a Learning From Light project school to help educate Virginia’s children about the value of renewable energy.

“In a commodity market, there is little room to differentiate a product by price,” said Andy Patterson, AEP senior vice president. “We’ve decided to offer customers an alternative. For as little as 10 cents extra per day, customers can choose to purchase electricity generated from renewable fuels.”

AEP Retail Energy’s price is 5.3 cents per kilowatthour for all electricity used through Dec. 31, 2001. This offer is available to participants in Dominion Virginia Power’s Project Current Choice.

AEP Retail Energy has purchased green credits for all electricity delivered. In this case, AEP Retail Energy’s credits are produced using 100% renewable fuel featuring waste wood from timber operations or wood processing plants. It should be noted that the precise amount of renewable power dispatched is subject to local generating constraints.

The Foundation for Environmental Education uses Learning from Light solar panel installations at schools to enhance environmental literacy. The purpose of the solar electricity system is not to remove the school from the power grid, but to help the students learn about solar power as they monitor output from the solar installation and energy use in the building.

Project Current Choice is the pilot program in which customers will help utilities, regulators and other market participants develop and test the systems and activities that will be needed to enable all Virginians to select the company that provides the electricity they use beginning in 2002. The local utility company continues to deliver power through the systems in place today.

Customers can obtain more information about AEP Retail Energy’s alternative fuels option by contacting AEP Retail Energy at 1-888-237-0009.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, AEP Retail Energy is affiliated with, but is not the same company as, Appalachian Power Company, doing business in Virginia as American Electric Power (AEP).