GREENSBURG, Pa. and COLUMBUS, Ohio, October 17, 2008 –

Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, LLC, a joint venture of
American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and Allegheny Energy (NYSE: AYE),
said today that PJM Interconnection announced a reconfiguration of PATH,
a proposed high-voltage transmission line project.

PJM, the organization responsible for the transmission grid covering 13
states and the District of Columbia, directed the construction of PATH
to ensure the reliability of the region’s transmission grid.  The
original project configuration included a 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission
line from the Amos substation near St. Albans, W.Va., to the Bedington
substation near Martinsburg, W.Va., and twin-circuit 500-kV lines from
Bedington to the proposed Kemptown substation southeast of Frederick,
Md.

The reconfiguration is a result of constraints identified as a result
of comprehensive siting studies; interaction with government agencies;
public input; and a desire to identify a solution that reduces line
mileage and minimizes the impact on communities and the environment.

The new configuration will:

Consist of a single 765-kV line from Amos to Kemptown, 
Eliminate the connection with the Bedington substation and the
twin-circuit 500-kV lines from Bedington to Kemptown, including many
previously evaluated routes in that area, and Include a new mid-point

substation in the vicinity of eastern Grant County, northern Hardy

County, or southern Hampshire County, near existing PATH

alternative routes.  The substation site has not been determined.

Based on the re-configured project, the PATH team is developing new
route alternatives between the mid-point substation area and Kemptown.
PATH continues to work toward identifying the complete line route and
expects to file applications for approval by state regulatory
commissions during the first quarter 2009. 

Additional open houses will be scheduled in areas where the new
alternatives are identified.  PJM recently confirmed that

the reconfigured project addresses its reliability concerns.

Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned
electric utility with total annual revenues of over $3 billion and more
than 4,000 employees. The company owns and operates generating
facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to 1.6
million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.
For more information, visit our Web site at www.alleghenyenergy.com.

American Electric Power --

 

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 more than 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.