File No. 70-5943



                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                       ----------------------------------

                         POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 30

                                       to

                                    FORM U-1

                        --------------------------------

                                   DECLARATION

                                      under

                 THE PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935

                                       ***

                      AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.
                     1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215
                    ----------------------------------------
               (Name of company or companies filing this statement
                   and address of principal executive offices)

                                       ***

                      AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.
                     1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215
                     (Name of top registered holding company
                     parent of each applicant or declarant)

                                       ***

                 A. A. Pena, Senior Vice President and Treasurer
                   AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER SERVICE CORPORATION
                     1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215

           Susan Tomasky, Executive Vice President and General Counsel
                   AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER SERVICE CORPORATION
                     1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215
                    -----------------------------------------
                   (Names and addresses of agents for service)




      American  Electric Power Company,  Inc.  ("AEP") hereby amends its
Declaration on Form U-1, in File No. 70-5943, as heretofore amended, to file the
following exhibit:

ITEM 6.     EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
      The following exhibit is being filed with this Post-Effective Amendment:
                               Exhibit F-8 Opinion of Counsel

                                   SIGNATURE

      Pursuant to the  requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of
1935, the undersigned company has duly caused this Post-Effective  Amendment No.
30 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                              AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.



                              By:   /s/ Thomas G. Berkemeyer
                                 ---------------------------------------------
                                    Thomas G. Berkemeyer,
                                    Assistant Secretary


Dated: November 8, 2000







November 7, 2000


Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, DC  20549

Dear Sirs:

This opinion is being rendered in connection with  Post-Effective  Amendment No.
29 to the Declaration on Form U-1 (File No. 70-5943) of American  Electric Power
Company,  Inc.  (the  "Company"),  relating  to a proposal  that the  Company be
authorized  to continue the  operation of its  Dividend  Reinvestment  and Stock
Purchase  Plan (the  "Plan"),  as  described  in such  Declaration,  as amended,
through September 30, 2006, and in connection therewith to issue and sell during
such period  shares of its Common Stock,  par value $6.50 per share,  previously
authorized by the  Commission  for issuance and sale  pursuant to the Plan,  and
also to cause First Chicago  Trust Company of New York, as agent (the  "Agent"),
to acquire the  Company's  Common  Stock on the open market for the  accounts of
participants in the Plan.

I wish to advise you that it is my  opinion  that the  Company is a  corporation
validly organized and duly existing under the laws of the State of New York.

I also wish to advise you that, in the event that the proposed  transactions are
consummated  in  accordance  with the above  Declaration,  as amended,  it is my
opinion that:

(a)   all State laws applicable to the proposed transactions will have been com-
      plied with;

(b)  the Common  Stock  offered  and sold  pursuant  to the Plan will be validly
     issued,  full  paid and  nonassessable,  and the  holders  thereof  will be
     entitled to the rights and privileges appertaining thereto set forth in the
     Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation,  as  amended,  and by-laws of the
     Company;

(c)  the Agent will legally  acquire on behalf of the  participants  in the Plan
     any shares of Common Stock purchased by it in open market transactions; and

(d)  the  consummation of the proposed  transactions  will not violate the legal
     rights  of the  holders  of any  securities  issued by the  Company  or any
     associate company thereof.

I consent  to the filing of this  opinion  as an exhibit to the  above-mentioned
Declaration.

Very truly yours,

      /s/ Ann B. Graf
- ------------------------
Ann B. Graf