Gahanna, Ohio(Sept. 21, 2008) – Since 6 a.m. today, approximately 95 percent of AEP Ohio customers who lost power following the aftermath of Hurricane Ike have been restored. Nearly 700,000 customers across the company´s service territory were affected by the devastating winds. More than 3,000 field resources continue their efforts this morning to restore power to the approximate 34,000 customers who remain without power across the state.

Customers are asked to contact AEPOhioif they notice power to their neighbors has been restored, yet they remain without service. This could indicate that the customer has an individual problem to their home or business.

AEP Ohio cannot connect power to any home or business where there is damage to the service entrance. The service entrance is the area located 1) at the meter, 2) between the meter and the home’s electrical panel, or 3) the location where AEP Ohio’s cable connects to the home/business owner’s cable. Customers need to have a qualified electrician repair this damage before power can be restored to the home or business.

Ohio Power customers own and are responsible for the entire electric service entrance and the wiring inside it, as well as the breaker or fuse box on the inside of the house. With underground service, the customer’s responsibility starts at the meter box. Columbus Southern Power customers also are responsible for this equipment with the exception of the meter box, which is owned by CSP.

AEP Ohio appreciates the ongoing patience and countless acts of kindness showed by our customers.

For restoration estimates by area, go to aepohio.com and view updated information on the company’s restoration progress. Please note that these restoration times are estimates for 90 percent completion and are subject to change. Also, for customers in central Ohio, please see our maps of affected areas and projected 90 percent restoration times. Please keep in mind that these maps do not represent a complete area without power. In many instances, areas shown have been restored. If an area is not represented, then that area has completed more than 90 percent restoration. However, crews continue to work in the areas on scattered outages. If a customer remains without power in an area that is shown to be restored, the customer should contact AEP Ohio. Outages affecting individual customers may remain.

AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio. The company serves all or part of 61 counties in Ohio and two in West Virginia.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.