BRIDGMAN, Mich., June 24, 2005 -- Former President Jimmy Carter affirmed his optimism for the future of nuclear energy while highlighting the important role it has played in the United States during a visit to American Electric Power´s (NYSE: AEP) Cook Nuclear Plant this morning.

“I am very proud of what nuclear power has done for our nation´s security and well-being," Carter told a group of Cook employees before exiting the plant. “I think the future holds great opportunities for nuclear power because safety has improved, technology has improved and environmental quality has improved."

The Carter visit to Cook comes on the heels of President George W. Bush’s visit Wednesday to a nuclear plant in Maryland, the first presidential visit to a nuclear plant since Carter´s 1979 visit to Three Mile Island in the aftermath of the accident there. Carter, his wife Rosalynn, and several family members participated in the Cook Plant tour during a break from their Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity Work Project in nearby Benton Harbor, where after the tour Carter dedicated 20 homes completed as part of the project.

"It was heartening to hear our 39th president, Jimmy Carter, echo the words of current President Bush about the important role of nuclear energy and the need for new nuclear generation to be part of America´s future electricity generating fleet," said Michael G. Morris, AEP´s chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Both President Bush and President Carter have recognized the safety of the new designs for nuclear plants and the environmental benefits of having nuclear remain a vital part of the nation´s energy mix."

Morris and Mano Nazar, AEP´s chief nuclear officer, led a 90-minute tour that included plant control rooms, the turbine building and a briefing on plant security.

In the plant’s control rooms, Carter interacted with plant reactor operators and questioned them about changes in nuclear technology since his time in the Navy and improvements made since Three Mile Island. Carter was a nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy and served as senior officer on the Seawolf, the second nuclear submarine. In February, the Navy commissioned its newest nuclear-powered attack submarine, The Jimmy Carter.

“We’re proud of the safety, training, and operational improvements made in the industry since you last visited a plant,” Nazar told Carter. “And since 9/11, security upgrades have also been dramatic.”

American Electric Power owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and is the nation´s largest electricity generator. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP’s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.