AEP’s business and capital investment plans for the construction of new projects, including providing service to new data centers and other large load customers, involve execution risks that could adversely affect AEP’s financial performance and/or impair AEP’s ability to execute on these plans. These risks include delays, supply chain disruption and the unavailability of materials, cost overruns, inflation, the cost and availability of capital, labor disputes or shortages and other factors that could cause the total cost and timing of any project to exceed estimates. While AEP utilizes measures to limit the impact of these events, if any of these projects are canceled for any reason, including shifts in large customer needs, preferences or financial stability, shifts in demand for large customer products or services, changes in technology, failure to receive necessary regulatory approvals, cost recovery and/or siting or environmental permits, mitigation efforts might not be sufficient and it could result in significant unrecoverable costs and the execution of AEP’s business and capital investment plans would be negatively impacted. In addition, if any construction work or investments have been recorded as an asset, an impairment may need to be recorded in the event a project is canceled. This would cause financial results to be diminished.
Meeting the significant increase in electricity demand from new data centers and other large‑load customers will require substantial investment in new generation and transmission facilities. These projects may require levels of capital that exceed historical utility financing needs, and the ability of the capital markets to supply sufficient funding for large‑scale infrastructure expansion is uncertain. AEP’s ability to undertake these capital‑intensive projects depends in part on continued access to debt and equity markets. If capital markets experience reduced liquidity, constrained capacity for utility issuances, or diminished investor appetite for long‑duration infrastructure investments, AEP may be unable to obtain the financing required to support these projects. Even if capital is available, it may only be obtainable at significantly higher cost due to market conditions or competition for capital among utilities and other sectors. Any inability to secure adequate financing could delay or prevent the construction of required facilities, impair AEP’s ability to serve its customers, and adversely affect future net income, cash flows and financial condition.