COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 16, 1998 -- Easton Town Center, an innovative entertainment and retail development, has signed a contract to use DatapultK for energy information, tenant billing and related services.

Datapult is a new portfolio of energy information services from AEP Communications LLC, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), that provides commercial and industrial customers an affordable means to track and manage energy consumption. Datapult monitors electricity, gas, water, steam, compressed air, temperature and other information, which can then be easily analyzed via the Internet.

The multi-year agreement between Easton Town Center and AEP Communications is valued at approximately $1 million and will enable Easton Town Center to accurately monitor and track utility consumption within the 600,000 square foot, 14 building complex.

"We are very pleased to have Easton Town Center as a Datapult customer," said Peter R. Thomas, vice president of AEP Communications. "Easton Town Center is a unique development on the leading edge of the entertainment retail concept, just as Datapult is on the leading edge of energy information services.

"It´s exciting that Datapult has a role in a retail development that will set the standard for others nationally."

Yaromir Steiner, president of Steiner & Associates and co-developer of Easton Town Center, said the Datapult contract is one of the steps taken by the developers to ensure Easton Town Center´s success.

"Easton is a world class property and we will take advantage of every opportunity to ensure the success of our tenants," Steiner said. "We understand our tenants´ desire to lower their energy costs and utilize energy management strategies that directly impact their bottom line. The energy information and advisory services provided by Datapult are a necessity if we are to meet our tenants´ expectations. We are delighted to partner with a world-class organization like AEP."

Easton Town Center is a leisure time retail and entertainment shopping district that will feature more than 100 entertainment venues and specialty stores, including almost 13 acres of covered indoor space. Easton Town Center is part of Easton, a 1,200 acre mixed-use development located within the city limits of Columbus, Ohio. Co-developers for Easton Town Center are Steiner & Associates, The Georgetown Company and Easton.

Construction at Easton Town Center began in May with opening scheduled in the summer of 1999.

Among Easton Town Center tenants are:
-- Planet Movies by AMC, a 130,000 square foot powerhouse entertainment concept that features a 30-screen, 6,200-seat AMC megaplex movie theater combined with a 10,000 square foot Planet Hollywood restaurant and a 10,000 square foot Official All Star Cafe;

-- Life Time Fitness, a mega sports club from Minneapolis which will open a 92,000 square foot two level health club;

-- Steven Spielberg´s GameWorks, a new 30,000 square foot destination entertainment attraction that features interactive play zones with the latest in game technology for kids and family members of all ages;

-- a 35,000 square foot Barnes & Noble book superstore;

-- and a number of national and local restaurant concepts, including The Cheesecake Factory, Cafe Tu Tu Tango and Johnny Rockets.

Under the contract between AEP Communications and Easton Town Center, Datapult will:

-- provide electricity monitoring in 15 minute increments for all tenants in the 14 buildings that comprise the Easton Town Center complex;

-- provide water use monitoring;

-- allocate Easton Town Center´s actual energy consumption to its tenants;

-- generate and send allocated electric and water billing statements to the tenants;

-- provide analysis of energy use with energy management recommendations;

-- and interface with the energy management systems that may be utilized for the overall complex.

"The services we will provide Easton Town Center showcase Datapult´s capabilities and flexibility," Thomas said. "In this case, we are providing energy information and analysis, as well as energy consumption allocation and billing, for tenants in 14 buildings that are part of one complex. Datapult can provide the same services even if the buildings are in different states, and even if the facilities are chemical or manufacturing plants instead of entertainment, restaurant or retail facilities."

AEP Communications announced Datapult June 9. Datapult comprises four major elements:
-- Datapult Information Source cost-effectively gathers data tailored to the customer´s needs. First, line items from utility statements can be entered into a database to provide basic variance comparisons among sites. Second, Datapult experts can interface with the customer´s existing control and metering equipment to leverage investments already made.

For the processes or sites that require detailed energy information not currently monitored, AEP has developed the Datapult Information Sensor, a flexible monitoring device. The Information Sensor monitors consumption profiles for electric, gas, water, compressed air, steam and ambient temperature for a site, process or key equipment in 15-minute increments.

-- Datapult Central, AEP´s secure Internet site, displays the information by entire company, business unit, site or process. By clicking the Datapult icon on the computer screen, and entering the user identification and password, the customer can access its energy information from anywhere around the world.

-- Datapult Analysis turns information into bottom-line savings, automatically analyzing energy use for critical events and providing access to special analysis tools for the customer´s use. For customers who require additional expertise or resources to analyze the information, Datapult Analysis provides the energy experts required for a customized turnkey solution.

-- Datapult Notification will alert the customer by pager, e-mail, electronic signal or fax once critical events are identified.

AEP Communications LLC was formed in 1997 to provide fiber, wireless and information services to wholesale and retail customers. The company has built high-speed fiber optic lines and wireless antenna structures, and has invested in digital personal communications service providers.

AEP, a global energy company, is one of the United States´ largest investor-owned utilities, providing energy to 3 million customers in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. AEP has holdings in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Australia. Wholly owned subsidiaries provide power engineering, energy consulting and energy management services around the world. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.

On Dec. 22, 1997, AEP announced a definitive merger agreement for a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction with Central and South West Corp., a public utility holding company based in Dallas.

Information about Datapult can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.aep.com/datapult or by calling toll-free 1-877-DATAPULT (1-877-328-2785).