COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Site Selection
Magazine has named American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) one of the
nation's top 10 utilities for economic development. It is the sixth
consecutive year AEP has been recognized by the magazine.
Site Selection's September issue profiles AEP, which was chosen
based on its efforts to cultivate commercial and industrial
business development and create jobs. Factors the magazine
considered include end-user project activity; website tools and
data; innovative programs and incentives for business; and the
utility's own job-creating infrastructure and facility investment
trends.
"This recognition underscores AEP's vision of powering a new and
brighter future for our customers and communities," said
Mark James, vice president of
economic and business development. "The collaborative efforts of
AEP with our local, state and regional economic development
partners have been key to successfully creating value for our
customers, and driving jobs and investments to our 11-state
region."
In 2016, AEP's economic and business development team helped
attract and retain more than 7,200 direct jobs and $2.6 billion in capital investments.
One of AEP's most notable economic development projects last
year was Sofidel's $300-million paper
plant in Circleville, Ohio, which
required the relocation of a transmission line. AEP's proactive
efforts also helped Ashland,
Kentucky, land one of its biggest economic development
projects in recent years. Braidy Industry's $1.3 billion aluminum rolling mill will bring 550
jobs to the area. AEP also has recently contributed to Amazon and
Facebook's decisions to locate data centers in Central Ohio, as well as ExxonMobil's
decision, in partnership with SABIC, to locate an ethane steam
cracker in South Texas.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a
smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and
custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP's more than 17,000
employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electricity
transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution
lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4
million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the
nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 33,000
megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,200 megawatts
of renewable energy. AEP's family of companies includes utilities
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 also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy
Partners, AEP OnSite Partners, and AEP Renewables, which provide
innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.
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SOURCE American Electric Power