EC8 - Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily of public benefit through commercial, in-kind, or pro bono engagement (Core)

AEP’s operations and activities also have a major positive impact on the areas where they are located.  For instance, AEP’s capital investments for generation and environmental retrofits project in 2006 and 2007 totaled more than $3.8 billion, with a significant portion committed to the installation of emissions reduction equipment on AEP’s generating fleet in West Virginia and Ohio.  The projects supported local economies through the addition of thousands of temporary jobs and scores of permanent jobs, and the development of new businesses, including the opening of local mines and, in the case of Moundsville, W.Va., the development of a new wallboard plant.

In addition, AEP supports a comprehensive suite of community involvement programs that allow the company to fulfill its primary community relations objective – “to support and play an active, positive role in the communities where we live and work.”
           
These programs include educational initiatives designed to advance our communities’ understanding of energy and energy-related issues.  They include community relations programs such as AEP Connects, which provides grants to nearly 1,000 organizations on behalf of active and retired employees who perform volunteer service for those organizations. And they include the contributions of the AEP Foundation – a permanent, ongoing resource for charitable initiatives involving higher dollar values and multi-year commitments in the communities we serve.