April 5, 2004 – American Electric Power has announced its spring and summer hours of operation for its Smith Mountain Visitors’ Center. The Visitors Center is now open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The hours of operation will be reduced in the fall in accordance with daylight savings time.

Typically 30,000 people learn more about the Smith Mountain Pumped Storage Project each year by visiting the Smith Mountain Visitors’ Center overlooking the dam. Hands-on exhibits and activities explain how the project was built, how it produces power and how the project enhances the area.

AEP operates its Smith Mountain Pumped Storage Project under a Federal Energy Regulator Commission license and the company uses a maximum of two feet of water from Smith Mountain Lake to generate electricity. This water is captured in Leesville Lake and is pumped back to Smith Mountain for future generation.

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.

News releases and other information about AEP can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.aep.com.
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