Contact for American Electric Power:       Contact for Central and South West:
Deb Strohmaier    614/223-1656             Larry Jones  214/777-1276


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Electric Power and Central and South West
Request Merger Approval from FERC and Texas PUC

Columbus, Ohio and Dallas, Texas (April 30, 1998) -- 
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NYSE: AEP) and 
Central and South West Corporation (CSW) (NYSE: CSR) today jointly filed
requests with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for approval
of their proposed merger and with the Public Utility Commission of Texas
(PUCT) for a finding that the merger is in the public interest. 

Testimony submitted in the filings outlines the expected benefits of the 
merger to AEP and CSW customers and shareholders.  These benefits include:

$2 billion in non-fuel operations and maintenance expense savings over 
10 years;

$98 million in net fuel savings over 10 years;

Improved capital structure and increased financial strength;

Optimization of business practices and continued high-quality service;

Increased diversity in customer base, generating resources and service
territory;
 
Increased support for restructuring of retail electric markets; and

Increased support for an independent system operator (ISO).

The filings address required regulatory standards under applicable law 
and seek favorable determinations by the FERC and the PUCT.

Specifically, AEP and CSW have proposed a regulatory plan in Texas that 
provides for:

Approximately  $29 million in fuel cost savings to Texas customers 
during the 10-year period following completion of the merger;
 
A commitment to not raise base rates prior to Jan. 1, 2002 for Texas 
customers and a plan to share approximately one-half of the savings 
created by the merger during the first 10 years following the merger.  
In Texas, approximately $183 million of the savings from synergies will 
be used to reduce future costs to customers; and  

A commitment to continue the current high level of customer service 
and to identify opportunities and implement measures to further improve
service quality.

The Texas filing provides that there will be minimal job reductions 
among employees having direct contact with customers.  CSW's work force
currently totals about 7,000 employees, and AEP's work force totals about
18,000 employees.  AEP and CSW intend to use a combination of reduced 
hiring and attrition to the maximum extent possible to minimize the need 
for employee separations.

Today's filings mark the first of several regulatory filings that will 
be made to obtain approval of the proposed merger.  CSW and AEP will be
seeking approval from the Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana utility 
regulatory commissions in the second quarter.  Other required federal 
filings with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the 
Department of Justice and/or the Federal Trade Commission will be made 
later this year.

AEP and CSW anticipate obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals and 
completion of the merger by March 31, 1999.  There can be no assurance 
that AEP and CSW will obtain all necessary regulatory approvals, or when 
such approvals will be obtained.

AEP shareholders on May 27 will vote on whether to issue the additional 
shares of stock required to complete the merger.  CSW shareholders on May
28 will vote on whether to approve the merger.  A joint proxy statement 
describing the specific terms of the proposed agreement was mailed to 
shareholders of both companies last week.  Completion of the merger is 
subject to satisfaction of several other conditions, and there can be no 
assurance that those conditions will be satisfied.  

Central and South West Corporation is a global, diversified public utility
holding company based in Dallas.  CSW owns four electric operating 
subsidiaries serving 1.7 million customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana
and Arkansas; a regional electricity company in the United Kingdom; other
international energy operations and non-utility subsidiaries involved in
energy-related investments, telecommunications, energy efficiency and 
financial transactions.

American Electric Power Company, Inc., a global energy company, is one 
of the United States' largest investor-owned utilities, providing energy to
3 million customers in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia
and West Virginia.  

AEP has holdings in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and 
Australia. Wholly owned subsidiaries provide power engineering, energy 
consulting and energy management services around the world.  The company
is based in Columbus, Ohio.

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News releases and other information about CSW can be found on the World 
Wide Web at http://www.csw.com.

News releases and other information about AEP can be found on the World 
Wide Web at http://www.aep.com.

 ---

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning
of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  These forward-looking
statements reflect numerous assumptions, and involve a number of risks and 
uncertainties.  Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ 
materially are:  electric load and customer growth; abnormal weather 
conditions; available sources and cost of fuel and generating capacity; the
speed and degree to which competition enters the power generation, wholesale
and retail sectors of the electric utility industry; state and federal 
legislative and regulatory initiatives that, among other things,  
increase competition, threaten cost and investment recovery, and affect rate 
structures; the ability of the combined company to successfully reduce its 
cost structure; the degree to which the combined company develops 
nonregulated business ventures; the economic climate and growth in the 
service territories of the two companies; economies generated by the 
merger; the inflationary trends and interest 
rates and the other risks detailed from time to time in the two 
companies' SEC reports.