COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 17, 2004 - Chuck Zebula, previously senior vice president - portfolio management and optimization for American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), has been named senior vice president - fuel, emissions and logistics for AEP. Effective immediately, he will oversee all coal procurement and transportation, emissions marketing and fuel logistics for the company. Zebula reports to Holly Koeppel, AEP executive vice president - commercial operations.

Zebula previously was responsible for 24-hour, real-time power generation functions, generation optimization, and analysis functions in support of power generation and marketing. He will retain responsibility for generation optimization and emissions marketing and will gain responsibilities for all coal procurement and logistics optimization work, as well as all AEP fuel and fuel transportation operations - AEP River Operations, MEMCO barge line, AEP Coal, Cook Coal Terminal and the Alliance railcar facilities.

“Fuel procurement, transportation and strategy are major additional responsibilities for Chuck,” Koeppel said. “His educational background and experience in mining projects and his familiarity with all of our coal and plant operations make him perfect for this opportunity. Also, Chuck has successfully partnered with AEP´s generation and policy stakeholders to plan the AEP environmental compliance strategy in which coal is such a vital ingredient.”

Zebula joined AEP in 1998. Prior to joining AEP, Zebula was a senior associate with Putnam, Hayes & Bartlett, an economic and management consulting firm in Washington, D.C. At Putnam, Hayes & Bartlett, Zebula was involved in a number of consulting projects related to the electric utility, natural gas and coal industries. Zebula also has been employed by ICF Kaiser Engineers in Pittsburgh, Pa., as a senior process engineer/project manager in the coal division and as a process engineer for GAF Chemicals Corp. in Hagerstown, Md.

Zebula earned a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering in 1982 and a master’s degree in mineral processing in 1990, both from Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa. He also earned a master’s degree in industrial administration in 1995 from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania.

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.