COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 13, 2001 - Thomas J. Kalb has joined American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) in the new position of managing director, project finance - wholesale. He will oversee financing activities relating to AEP’s wholesale business unit.

Kalb, 44, will report to Geoffrey Chatas, vice president - investor relations and corporate finance.

“Tom’s varied background will help make him a key player in our finance group,” Chatas said. “Given the importance of AEP’s wholesale business to our overall corporate strategy, it is critical to develop a strong finance team that is focused on wholesale projects.”

Kalb had been employed by Enron Corp. in Houston since early 2000. Most recently, he was director - Energy Capital Group, a division of Enron North America. He previously was general manager, capital - FastTrack for Enron Energy Services and general manager - energy outsourcing.

Before joining Enron, Kalb was vice president - Structured Finance Group for General Electric Capital Corp., Stamford, Conn. He also served as director - structured finance for Bank of Montreal in New York, N.Y.; vice president - corporate finance for Signet Investment Banking Co., Richmond, Va.; and lead engineer for Texaco/Aramco in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

Kalb earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1979 and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago in 1988.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company based in Columbus, Ohio. AEP owns and operates more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity, making it America’s largest generator of electricity. The company is also a leading wholesale energy marketer and trader, ranking second in North America in wholesale electricity and wholesale natural gas volume. AEP provides retail electricity to more than 7 million customers worldwide and has holdings in the U.S. and select international markets. Wholly owned subsidiaries are involved in power engineering and construction services, energy management and telecommunications.