American Electric Power 2008 Corporate Sustainability Report

2008 Corporate Sustainability Report 53 for new generation in the future. AEP has operated the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant near Bridgman, Mich., since 1975. The Cook Plant received 20-year extensions of the licenses of each of its operating units in August 2005. As a result of those extensions, a number of long-term projects to improve plant reliability and capacity, including the replacement of high-pressure turbines, are being implemented. In 2007, a routine emergency plan siren performance test activated sirens in 23 minutes in lieu of the required 15 minutes and was counted as a test failure of Cook’s emergency siren system. The plant staff identified and corrected the component that failed. A subsequent Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection of Cook’s Emergency Planning Program early in 2008 confirmed that the issues that led to the failure have been resolved. We continue to study the possibility of adding more nuclear capacity to our system. As prices increase for new coal units and greenhouse gas regulations remain uncertain, some state commissions are expressing greater interest in nuclear power. We continue to look at all options when considering new generation. While nuclear energy does not produce greenhouse gas emissions, the issue of nuclear waste storage is significant, costly and unresolved. (Please see the Environmental Performance section for a further discussion of this topic.) TESTING OUR RESILIENCE Two severe ice storms tested AEP's resiliency in Oklahoma in a 12-month period. In our own service territory, Public Service Company of Oklahoma suffered widespread service interruptions twice in a 12-month span from major ice storms. In January 2007, an ice storm knocked out power to 100,000 customers. Damage was so extensive that some customers were without power for 10 days, despite an influx of workers from nearby AEP utilities and others. In December 2007, another ice storm left a total of 260,000 customers without electricity in what some called the worst natural disaster in the state’s history. Most of our customers had electricity service restored within eight days. The utility industry has an established process in which utilities help each other when major events overwhelm their systems. Once that process is activated, we are capable of sending crews from throughout our system within hours of a call and even providing food and temporary quarters if the need arises. Through mutual assistance agreements, many of those companies have also helped AEP in dire weather crises. AEP is routinely recognized by the Edison Electric Institute, the industry’s primary trade association, for our ability to help other utilities. In 2006 – 2007, our crews provided assistance to 12 utilities across the United States. The company’s Business Continuity Plan includes planning for a natural or man-made disaster that destroys or renders unusable the comEnergy Security, Reliability & Growth As a system that serves 11 states in an area from Virginia to Texas, our resilience is tested routinely. A part of our service territory is often under some sort of outage and AEP crews respond as quickly as possible to restore power. We are tested around the clock by storms, flood, lightening and equipment failures. Because of advance planning, companywide coordination and attention to detail, AEP is able to marshal resources to restore service in our own areas and in other utilities’ service areas as well.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Electric Power 2008 Corporate Sustainability Report

American Electric Power 2008 Corporate Sustainability Report Contents Leadership, Management & Strategy A Message from Michael G. Morris A Message from Dennis E. Welch About This Report Environmental Performance Work Force Issues Public Policy Climate Change Energy Security, Reliability & Growth Stakeholder Engagement Glossary GRI Table of Contents

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