WILKESVILLE, Ohio August 27, 1998 -- American Electric Power´s (NYSE: AEP) Southern Ohio Coal Co. (SOCCo) received the "President´s Award for Outstanding Reclamation" during the Ohio Mining and Reclamation Association annual meeting, which took place in Columbus recently.

Lisa Morris, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mines and Reclamation, presented the award to Mike Lively, superintendent of surface operations for SOCCo.

The award recognizes SOCCo´s reclamation efforts on 109 acres comprising the former Raccoon Mine No. 3 refuse disposal area. The company reclaimed the area, eliminated the need for ongoing water treatment there, and preserved buildings at the site for potential community economic development efforts.

"We appreciate the recognition our reclamation program received from the OMRA," says Lively. "This site will provide important environmental benefits to the area for many years to come."

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.