COLUMBUS SOUTHERN POWER COMPANY Selling Agency Agreement

1.

Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, you as set forth below in this Section 1. Certain terms used in this Section 1 are defined in paragraph (d) hereof.

(a)

The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on such Form S-3 (File Number: 333-_____), including a basic prospectus, which has become effective, for the registration under the Act of $____________ aggregate principal amount of Unsecured Notes (the "Notes"). Such registration statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(ix) or (x) under the Act and complies in all other material respects with said Rule. The Company will file with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Act a supplement to the form of prospectus included in such registration statement relating to the Notes and the plan of distribution thereof (the "Prospectus Supplement"). In connection with the sale of Notes the Company proposes to file with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Act further supplements to the Prospectus Supplement specifying the interest rates, maturity dates and, if appropriate, other terms of the Notes sold pursuant hereto or the offering thereof.

(b)

As of the Execution Time, on the Effective Date, when any supplement to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, as of the date of any Terms Agreement (as defined in Section 2(b)) and at the date of delivery by the Company of any Notes sold hereunder (a "Closing Date"), (i) the Registration Statement, as amended as of any such time, and the Prospectus, as supplemented as of any such time, will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), and the respective rules under the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act; (ii) the Registration Statement, as amended as of any such time, did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and (iii) the Prospectus, as supplemented as of any such time, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i) those parts of the Registration Statement which shall constitute a Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any of you expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto).

(c)

As of the time any Notes are issued and sold hereunder, the Indenture will constitute a legal, valid and binding instrument enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms and such Notes will have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated and, when paid for by the purchasers thereof, will constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally, or general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

(d)

The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated. The term "the Effective Date" shall mean each date that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or become effective. "Execution Time" shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto. "Basic Prospectus" shall mean the form of basic prospectus relating to the Securities contained in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date. "Prospectus" shall mean the Basic Prospectus as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement. "Registration Statement" shall mean the Registration Statement referred to in paragraph (a) above, including incorporated documents, exhibits and financial statements, as amended at the Execution Time. "Rule 415" and "Rule 424" refer to such rules under the Act. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms "amend", "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.

(e)

The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and as of such time of filing, when read together with the Prospectus, none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(f)

Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company.

(g)

This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(h)

The consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated herein will not conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be materially adverse to the Company or materially adverse to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.)

(i)

No authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of the Notes or the transactions by the Company contemplated in this Agreement, except (A) such as may be required under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder; (B) such as may be required under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended (the "1935 Act"); (C) the qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; (D) the approval of The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio; and (E) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws.

2.

Appointment of Agents; Solicitation by the Agents of Offers to Purchase; Sales of Notes to a Purchaser.

(a)

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company hereby authorizes each of the Agents to act as its agent to solicit offers for the purchase of all or part of the Notes from the Company.

On the basis of the representations and warranties, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each of the Agents agrees, as agent of the Company, to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the Notes from the Company upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) and in the Procedures.

The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to instruct the Agents to suspend at any time, for any period of time or permanently, the solicitation of offers to purchase the Notes. Upon receipt of instructions from the Company, the Agents will forthwith suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes from the Company until such time as the Company has advised them that such solicitation may be resumed.

The Company expressly reserves the right, upon fifteen business days' prior written notice to each Agent, to appoint other persons, partnerships or corporations ("Additional Agents") to act as its agent to solicit offers for the purchase of Notes; provided , each Additional Agent shall be named in a prospectus supplement or pricing supplement and shall either execute this Agreement and become a party hereto or shall enter into an agency agreement with the Company on terms substantially similar to those contained herein; thereafter the term Agent as used in this Agreement shall mean each Agent and each such Additional Agent.

The Company agrees to pay each Agent a commission, on the Closing Date with respect to each sale of Notes by the Company as a result of a solicitation made by such Agent, in an amount equal to that percentage specified in Schedule I hereto of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes sold by the Company. Such commission shall be payable as specified in the Procedures.

Subject to the provisions of this Section and to the Procedures, offers for the purchase of Notes may be solicited by an Agent as agent for the Company at such time and in such amounts as such Agent deems advisable. The Company may from time to time offer Notes for sale otherwise than through an Agent; provided , however , that so long as this Agreement shall be in effect the Company shall not solicit or accept offers to purchase Notes through any agent other than an Agent.

(b)

Subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, whenever the Company and any Agent determine that the Company shall sell Notes directly to such Agent as principal, each such sale of Notes shall be made in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and such Agent, any supplemental agreement relating thereto between the Company and the Purchaser. Each such supplemental agreement (which may be an oral or written agreement) is herein referred to as a "Terms Agreement". Each Terms Agreement shall describe (whether orally or in writing) the Notes to be purchased by the Purchaser pursuant thereto, and shall specify the aggregate principal amount of such Notes, the maturity date of such Notes, the rate at which interest will be paid on such Notes, the dates on which interest will be paid on such Notes and the record date with respect to each such payment of interest, the Closing Date for the purchase of such Notes, the place of delivery of the Notes and payment therefor, the method of payment and any requirements for the delivery of the opinions of counsel, the certificates from the Company or its officers, or a letter from the Company's independent public accountants, pursuant to Section 6(b). Any such Terms Agreement may also specify the period of time referred to in Section 4(m). Any written Terms Agreement may be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B. The Purchaser's commitment to purchase Notes shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth.

The Company also may sell Notes to any Agent, acting as principal, at a discount to be agreed upon at the time of sale, for resale to one or more investors or to another broker-dealer (acting as principal for purposes of resale) at varying prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of such resale as determined by such Agent. An Agent may resell a Note purchased by it as principal to another broker-dealer at a discount, provided such discount does not exceed the commission or discount received by such Agent from the Company in connection with the original sale of such Note.

(c)

The Company, however, expressly reserves the right to place the Notes itself privately or through a negotiated underwritten transaction with one or more underwriters without notice to any Agent and without any opportunity for any Agent to solicit offers for the purchase of the Notes. In such event, no commission will be payable to the Agents.

Delivery of the Notes sold to the Purchaser pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be made not later than the Closing Date agreed to in such Terms Agreement, against payment of funds to the Company in the net amount due to the Company for such Notes by the method and in the form set forth in the Procedures unless otherwise agreed to between the Company and the Purchaser in such Terms Agreement.

3.

Offering and Sale of Notes. Each Agent and the Company agree to perform the respective duties and obligations specifically provided to be performed by them in the Procedures.

4.

Agreements. The Company agrees with you that:

(a)

Prior to the termination of any offering of the Notes, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus (except for (i) periodic or current reports filed under the Exchange Act; (ii) a supplement relating to any offering of Notes providing solely for the specification of or a change in the maturity dates, interest rates, issuance prices or other similar terms of any Notes or (iii) a supplement relating to an offering of Securities other than the Notes) unless the Company has furnished each of you a copy for your review prior to filing and given each of you a reasonable opportunity to comment on any such proposed amendment or supplement. Subject to the foregoing sentence, the Company will cause each supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to you of such filing. The Company will promptly advise each of you (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b); (ii) when, prior to the termination of the offering of the Notes, any amendment of the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose; and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Notes for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(b)

If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Notes is required to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement or to supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, the Company promptly will (i) notify each of you to suspend solicitation of offers to purchase Notes (and, if so notified by the Company, each of you shall forthwith suspend such solicitation and cease using the Prospectus as then supplemented); (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the first sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 4, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and (iii) supply any supplemented Prospectus to each of you in such quantities as you may reasonably request. If such amendment or supplement, and any documents, certificates and opinions furnished to each of you pursuant to paragraph (g) of this Section 4 in connection with the preparation or filing of such amendment or supplement are satisfactory in all respects to you, you will, upon the filing of such amendment or supplement with the Commission and upon the effectiveness of an amendment to the Registration Statement, if such an amendment is required, resume your obligation to use your reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase Notes hereunder

(c)

The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Notes is required to be delivered under the Act, will file promptly all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and will furnish to each of you copies of such documents. In addition, on or prior to the date on which the Company makes any announcement to the general public concerning earnings or concerning any other event which is required to be described, or which the Company proposes to describe, in a document filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, the Company will furnish to each of you the information contained or to be contained in such announcement. The Company also will furnish to each of you copies of all other press releases or announcements to the general public. The Company will immediately notify each of you of any downgrading in the rating of the Notes or any other Unsecured Notes of the Company, or any proposal to downgrade the rating of the Notes or any other Unsecured Notes of the Company, by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization" (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Act), as soon as the Company learns of any such downgrading or proposal to downgrade.

(d)

As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to each of you an earning statem