COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2007 – American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) has earned worldwide recognition for its corporate intranet, AEP Now.

Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) named AEP Now one of the Ten Best Intranets of 2007. Dr. Jakob Nielsen, principal of NNG, has been called “the guru of web page usability” by The New York Times.

In a published report about this year’s winners, Nielsen writes: “With an idea planted at a usability conference and nurtured over dinner – with the aid of a paper tablecloth – American Electric Power applied a world-class design staff … to create an unbeatable intranet; the new AEP Now informs and inspires employees throughout the site.”

AEP redesigned its 10-year-old intranet last year, said William Amurgis, the company’s manager of intranet strategy. “To be recognized by Dr. Nielsen is quite an honor. We’re thrilled to serve our 20,000 hard-working employees with a world-class intranet,” he said.

Selected from among nominees worldwide for this honor, in addition to AEP, were Comcast, DaimlerChrysler, Dow Chemical Co., Infosys Technologies Ltd., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Microsoft Corp., National Geographic Society, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Volvo Group. The Nielsen intranet recognition has occurred annually since 2001.

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 36,000 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 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). The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.