8.30.2002 ET

(CSRwire) JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - E. Linn Draper Jr., who is chairman, president and chief executive officer of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), will sign a sustainable development statement of collaboration and other related agreements with the United Nations Sunday in his role as chairman of the e7.

The e7 is an organization of nine leading energy companies from the G7 nations that collectively promote sustainable energy development. AEP represents the United States in the e7.

The e7 agreements with the UN will be signed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development here.

Foremost among the signings is a statement of collaboration between e7 and the UN. This statement serves as an umbrella for other agreements with UN agencies and prefaces other private/public partnerships.

"Through its myriad initiatives and tireless efforts, the United Nations has accomplished a great many victories," Draper said. "It is with great hope for the future that e7 signs this umbrella agreement with the United Nations."

e7 also will sign the following agreements: memoranda of understanding (MOU) with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and a Letter of Agreement with the UN International Development Organization (UNIDO).

The MOU with UNDESA reaffirms the common commitment of e7 and UNDESA to promote energy for sustainable development.

The MOU with UNEP is significant because it is an agreement with the UN’s premier agency that addresses environmental issues.

The agreement with UNIDO is a logical alignment of UN’s leading international development experts and e7’s involvement in promoting sustainable energy production in the developing world.
Other significant agreements will be signed with the UN Foundation and the Tata Energy Research Institute.

The MOU with the UN Foundation provides for an innovative partnership between an industry group and a publicly managed foundation built on private donations.

The MOU with Tata Energy Research Institute is notable because Tata is a world-class establishment in the field of energy research and development with origins in India.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development, which opened Aug. 26, convenes governmental leaders throughout the world and brings together delegates and representatives from non-governmental organizations, businesses and other groups to address global issues of environmental protection, conservation of natural resources and growing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic security. The summit is a follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, where the world community adopted Agenda 21, a global plan of action for sustainable development.

e7 chairmen attending the Summit are Messrs. Draper, Francois Roussely (Electricité de France and e7 Fund chairman), Jacques Laurent (Hydro-Quebec and host of the e7 Network of Expertise for the Global Environment) and Ian Russell (Scottish Power). Senior representatives of other e7 member companies, including Ronald Osborne, president and chief executive officer of Ontario Power Generation, and Kansai, RWE and TEPCO, are to attend.

The e7, founded in 1992, is an association of leading electric and energy companies from G7 nations. Members include AEP (U.S.), Electricité de France (France), Enel (Italy), Hydro-Quebec (Canada), Kansai Electric Power (Japan), Ontario Power (Canada), RWE (Germany), Scottish Power (United Kingdom) and Tokyo Electric Power Generation (Japan). For more information: www.e7.org.

American Electric Power is a multinational energy company with a balanced portfolio of energy assets. AEP, the United States’ largest electricity generator, owns and operates more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. and select international markets. AEP is a leading wholesale energy marketer, ranking among North America’s top providers of wholesale power and natural gas with a growing wholesale presence in European markets. In addition to electricity generation, AEP owns and operates natural gas pipeline systems, natural gas storage, coal mines, and the fourth-largest inland barge company in the U.S. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with almost 5 million customers linked to AEP’s wires. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.

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