SHREVEPORT, La., Dec. 3, 2012 – Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is issuing a Request For Proposals seeking bids to supply up to 200 megawatts (MW) of capacity and associated energy and ancillary services for a term of three to five years beginning June 1, 2016. Capacity in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) markets will be considered. Proposals are due by Jan. 17, 2013. The RFP and related documents are available online at www.SWEPCO.com/2012RFP

SWEPCO serves 520,400 retail customers in three states, including 113,700 in western Arkansas, 225,700 in northwest and central Louisiana and 181,000 in north and eastern Texas.

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.