EXHIBIT 1(b)

                             KENTUCKY POWER COMPANY

                             Underwriting Agreement

                           Dated ____________________


         AGREEMENT made between KENTUCKY POWER COMPANY, a corporation organized
and existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky (the "Company"), and
the several persons, firms and corporations (the "Underwriters") named in
Exhibit 1 hereto.

                                   WITNESSETH:

         WHEREAS, the Company proposes to issue and sell $__________ principal
amount of its [Unsecured Notes] to be issued pursuant to the Indenture dated as
of September 1, 1997, between the Company and Bankers Trust Company, as trustee
(the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as to be further
supplemented and amended (said Indenture as so supplemented being hereafter
referred to as the Indenture); and

         WHEREAS, the Underwriters have designated the person signing this
Agreement (the Representative) to execute this Agreement on behalf of the
respective Underwriters and to act for the respective Underwriters in the manner
provided in this Agreement; and

         WHEREAS, the Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 (the Act), with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the Commission), a registration statement and prospectus or
prospectuses relating to the [Unsecured Notes] and such registration statement
has become effective; and

         WHEREAS, such registration statement, as it may have been amended to
the date hereof, including the financial statements, the documents incorporated
or deemed incorporated therein by reference and the exhibits, being herein
called the Registration Statement, and the prospectus, as included or referred
to in the Registration Statement to become effective, as it may be last amended
or supplemented prior to the effectiveness of the agreement (the Basic
Prospectus), and the Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by a prospectus
supplement which includes certain information relating to the Underwriters, the
principal amount, price and terms of offering, the interest rate and redemption
prices of the [Unsecured Notes], first filed with the Commission pursuant to the
applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Commission's General Rules and
Regulations under the Act (the Rules), including all documents then incorporated
or deemed to have been incorporated therein by reference, being herein call the
Prospectus.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
covenants herein contained, it is agreed between the parties as follows:

         I. Purchase and Sale: Upon the basis of the warranties and
representations and on the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth,
the Company agrees to sell to the respective Underwriters named in Exhibit 1
hereto, severally and not jointly, and the respective Underwriters, severally
and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company, the respective principal
amounts of the [Unsecured Notes] set opposite their names in Exhibit 1 hereto,
together aggregating all of the [Unsecured Notes], at a price equal to ______%
of the principal amount thereof.

         2. Payment and Delivery: Payment for the [Unsecured Notes] shall be
made to the Company or its order by certified or bank check or checks, payable
in New York Clearing House funds, at the office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett,
425 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017-3909, or at such other place as
the Company and the Representative shall mutually agree in writing, upon the
delivery of the [Unsecured Notes] to the Representative for the respective
accounts of the Underwriters against receipt therefor signed by the
Representative on behalf of itself and for the other Underwriters. Such payments
and delivery shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York Time, on _______________ (or
on such later business day, not more than five business days subsequent to such
day, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the Underwriters), unless
postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 hereof. The time at
which payment and delivery are to be made is herein called the Time of Purchase.

         [The delivery of the [Unsecured Notes] shall be made in fully
registered form, registered in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The
Depository Trust Company in New York, New York and the Underwriters shall accept
such delivery.]

          3. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations: The several obligations of
the  Underwriters  hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the  warranties  and
representations on the part of the Company on the date hereof and at the Time of
Purchase and to the following other conditions:

        (a)      That all legal proceedings to be taken and all legal
                 opinions to be rendered in connection with the issue
                 and sale of the [Unsecured Notes] shall be
                 satisfactory in form and substance to Dewey
                 Ballantine LLP, counsel to the Underwriters.

        (b)      That, at the Time of Purchase, the Representative
                 shall be furnished with the following opinions, dated
                 the day of the Time of Purchase, with conformed
                 copies or signed counterparts thereof for the other
                 Underwriters, with such changes therein as may be
                 agreed upon by the Company and the Representative
                 with the approval of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel to
                 the Underwriters:

                 (1) Opinion of Simpson  Thacher & Bartlett  and any of
                     John  F.  Di  Lorenzo,   Jr.,   Esq.,   Thomas  G.
                     Berkemeyer,  Esq.,  Ann B.  Graf,  Esq.,  David C.
                     House, Esq., or William E. Johnson,  Esq., counsel
                     to  the  Company,   substantially   in  the  forms
                     attached hereto as Exhibits A and B; and

                 (2) Opinion of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel to
                     the Underwriters, substantially in the form
                     attached hereto as Exhibit C.

          (c)    That the  Representative  shall have  received a letter from
                 Deloitte & Touche LLP in form and substance  satisfactory to
                 the  Representative,  dated  as of the  day of the  Time  of
                 Purchase,  (i) confirming that they are  independent  public
                 accountants within the meaning of the Act and the applicable
                 published   rules   and   regulations   of  the   Commission
                 thereunder, (ii) stating that in their opinion the financial
                 statements  audited by them and included or  incorporated by
                 reference in the Registration  Statement complied as to form
                 in all material respects with the then applicable accounting
                 requirements  of the  Commission,  including the  applicable
                 published  rules and regulations of the Commission and (iii)
                 covering as of a date not more than five business days prior
                 to the day of the Time of Purchase such other matters as the
                 Representative reasonably requests.

          (d)    That no amendment to the Registration  Statement and that no
                 prospectus or prospectus  supplement of the Company relating
                 to the  [Unsecured  Notes] and no  document  which  would be
                 deemed  incorporated  in the  Prospectus by reference  filed
                 subsequent  to the  date  hereof  and  prior  to the Time of
                 Purchase shall contain  material  information  substantially
                 different from that contained in the Registration  Statement
                 which is unsatisfactory  in substance to the  Representative
                 or  unsatisfactory  in form to Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel
                 to the Underwriters.

           (e)   That, at the Time of Purchase, an appropriate order
                 of the Kentucky Public Service Commission, necessary
                 to permit the sale of the [Unsecured Notes] to the
                 Underwriters, shall be in effect; and that, prior to
                 the Time of Purchase, no stop order with respect to
                 the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall
                 have been issued under the Act by the Commission or
                 proceedings therefor initiated.

           (f)   That, at the Time of Purchase, there shall not have
                 been any material adverse change in the business,
                 properties or financial condition of the Company from
                 that set forth in the Prospectus (other than changes
                 referred to in or contemplated by the Prospectus),
                 and that the Company shall, at the Time of Purchase,
                 have delivered to the Representative a certificate of
                 an executive officer of the Company to the effect
                 that, to the best of his knowledge, information and
                 belief, there has been no such change.

           (g)   That the Company shall have performed such of its
                 obligations under this Agreement as are to be
                 performed at or before the Time of Purchase by the
                 terms hereof.

          4. Certain Covenants of the Company:  In further  consideration of the
agreements  of the  Underwriters  herein  contained,  the Company  covenants  as
follows:

          (a)       As soon as  practicable,  and in any event  within  the time
                    prescribed by Rule 424 under the Act, to file any Prospectus
                    Supplement  relating  to  the  [Unsecured  Notes]  with  the
                    Commission;  as soon as the Company is advised  thereof,  to
                    advise the  Representative and confirm the advice in writing
                    of any request made by the  Commission for amendments to the
                    Registration  Statement or the  Prospectus or for additional
                    information  with respect  thereto or of the entry of a stop
                    order  suspending  the  effectiveness  of  the  Registration
                    Statement or of the initiation or threat of any  proceedings
                    for that purpose and, if such a stop order should be entered
                    by the Commission, to make every reasonable effort to obtain
                    the prompt lifting or removal thereof.

          (b)       To deliver to the  Underwriters,  without charge, as soon as
                    practicable (and in any event within 24 hours after the date
                    hereof), and from time to time thereafter during such period
                    of time (not exceeding nine months) after the date hereof as
                    they are  required by law to deliver a  prospectus,  as many
                    copies of the Prospectus (as  supplemented or amended if the
                    Company  shall  have  made  any  supplements  or  amendments
                    thereto) as the Representative may reasonably  request;  and
                    in case any  Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus
                    after the  expiration  of nine months after the date hereof,
                    to furnish to any Underwriter,  upon request, at the expense
                    of such Underwriter, a reasonable quantity of a supplemental
                    prospectus or of  supplements  to the  Prospectus  complying
                    with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act.

          (c)       To furnish to the  Representative  a copy,  certified by the
                    Secretary or an Assistant  Secretary of the Company,  of the
                    Registration   Statement   as   initially   filed  with  the
                    Commission  and  of all  amendments  thereto  (exclusive  of
                    exhibits),   and,   upon   request,   to   furnish   to  the
                    Representative sufficient plain copies thereof (exclusive of
                    exhibits) for distribution of one to the other Underwriters.

          (d)       For such period of time (not  exceeding  nine months)  after
                    the date  hereof as they are  required  by law to  deliver a
                    prospectus,  if any event shall have occurred as a result of
                    which it is necessary to amend or supplement  the Prospectus
                    in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
                    circumstances   when  the   Prospectus  is  delivered  to  a
                    purchaser,  not contain any untrue  statement  of a material
                    fact or not omit to state any material  fact  required to be
                    stated  therein or necessary in order to make the statements
                    therein not misleading, forthwith to prepare and furnish, at
                    its own expense,  to the  Underwriters and to dealers (whose
                    names and  addresses  are  furnished  to the  Company by the
                    Representative)  to whom principal amounts of the [Unsecured
                    Notes]  may have  been  sold by the  Representative  for the
                    accounts of the Underwriters and, upon request, to any other
                    dealers  making such request,  copies of such  amendments to
                    the Prospectus or supplements to the Prospectus.

          (e)       As soon as  practicable,  the  Company  will make  generally
                    available to its security holders and to the Underwriters an
                    earnings  statement  or  statement  of the  Company  and its
                    subsidiaries  which will satisfy the  provisions  of Section
                    11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act.

          (f)       To use its best efforts to qualify the [Unsecured Notes] for
                    offer and sale  under the  securities  or "blue sky" laws of
                    such  jurisdictions  as  the  Representative  may  designate
                    within six months  after the date  hereof and itself to pay,
                    or to  reimburse  the  Underwriters  and their  counsel for,
                    reasonable filing fees and expenses in connection  therewith
                    in  an  amount  not   exceeding   $3,500  in  the  aggregate
                    (including  filing fees and expenses paid and incurred prior
                    to the effective date hereof),  provided,  however, that the
                    Company  shall  not be  required  to  qualify  as a  foreign
                    corporation or to file a consent to service of process or to
                    file annual reports or to comply with any other requirements
                    deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.

          (g)       To pay all  expenses,  fees and taxes  (other than  transfer
                    taxes on resales of the [Unsecured  Notes] by the respective
                    Underwriters)  in connection  with the issuance and delivery
                    of the [Unsecured  Notes],  except that the Company shall be
                    required  to pay the  fees  and  disbursements  (other  than
                    disbursements  referred to in paragraph  (f) of this Section
                    4) of Dewey  Ballantine  LLP,  counsel to the  Underwriters,
                    only in the events provided in paragraph (h) of this Section
                    4, the  Underwriters  hereby  agreeing  to pay such fees and
                    disbursements in any other event.

          (h)       If the  Underwriters  shall  not  take  up and  pay  for the
                    [Unsecured  Notes]  due to the  failure  of the  Company  to
                    comply  with any of the  conditions  specified  in Section 3
                    hereof,  or,  if  this  Agreement  shall  be  terminated  in
                    accordance with the provisions of Section 7 or 8 hereof,  to
                    pay the fees and  disbursements  of  Dewey  Ballantine  LLP,
                    counsel to the Underwriters,  and, if the Underwriters shall
                    not  take up and pay for the  [Unsecured  Notes]  due to the
                    failure of the Company to comply with any of the  conditions
                    specified in Section 3 hereof, to reimburse the Underwriters
                    for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, in an aggregate
                    amount  not  exceeding  a  total  of  $10,000,  incurred  in
                    connection   with  the   financing   contemplated   by  this
                    Agreement.

          (i)       The Company  will timely  file any  certificate  required by
                    Rule 52 under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
                    in connection with the sale of the [Unsecured Notes].

          [(j)      The Company  will use its best  efforts to list,  subject to
                    notice of issuance,  the  [Unsecured  Notes] on the New York
                    Stock Exchange.]

          [(k)      During the period from the date hereof and continuing to and
                    including  the  earlier  of (i) the date  which is after the
                    Time of Purchase on which the distribution of the [Unsecured
                    Notes] ceases,  as determined by the  Representative  in its
                    sole  discretion,  and (ii) the date  which is 30 days after
                    the Time of Purchase, the Company agrees not to offer, sell,
                    contract  to sell or  otherwise  dispose  of any  [Unsecured
                    Notes]  of  the   Company  or  any   substantially   similar
                    securities  of  the  Company  without  the  consent  of  the
                    Representative.]

          5. Warranties of and Indemnity by the Company:  The Company represents
and warrants to, and agrees with you, as set forth below:

          (a)       the  Registration  Statement on its effective date complied,
                    or was deemed to comply,  with the applicable  provisions of
                    the Act and the rules and  regulations of the Commission and
                    the  Registration  Statement at its effective  date did not,
                    and at the Time of  Purchase  will not,  contain  any untrue
                    statement  of a  material  fact or omit to state a  material
                    fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the
                    statements therein not misleading,  and the Basic Prospectus
                    at  the  time  that  the   Registration   Statement   became
                    effective, and the Prospectus when first filed in accordance
                    with Rule 424(b)  complies,  and at the Time of Purchase the
                    Prospectus  will comply,  with the applicable  provisions of
                    the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and
                    the  rules  and  regulations  of the  Commission,  the Basic
                    Prospectus  at the  time  that  the  Registration  Statement
                    became  effective,  and the  Prospectus  when first filed in
                    accordance  with Rule 424(b) did not, and the  Prospectus at
                    the Time of Purchase will not,  contain any untrue statement
                    of a material fact or omit 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,  except that the Company makes no
                    warranty or  representation to the Underwriters with respect
                    to any  statements  or  omissions  made in the  Registration
                    Statement or  Prospectus  in reliance upon and in conformity
                    with information  furnished in writing to the Company by, or
                    through  the  Representative  on behalf of, any  Underwriter
                    expressly for use in the Registration  Statement,  the Basic
                    Prospectus  or  Prospectus,  or  to  any  statements  in  or
                    omissions from that part of the Registration  Statement that
                    shall  constitute  the  Statement of  Eligibility  under the
                    Trust  Indenture Act of 1939 of any indenture  trustee under
                    an indenture of the Company.

          (b)       As of the Time of  Purchase,  the  Indenture  will have been
                    duly  authorized by the Company and duly qualified under the
                    Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended,  and, when executed
                    and   delivered  by  the  Trustee  and  the  Company,   will
                    constitute a legal, valid and binding instrument enforceable
                    against  the Company in  accordance  with its terms and such
                    [Unsecured 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,  or other similar laws affecting the enforcement
                    of  creditors'   rights  in  general,   and  except  as  the
                    availability  of  the  remedy  of  specific  performance  is
                    subject  to  general  principles  of equity  (regardless  of
                    whether such remedy is sought in a  proceeding  in equity or
                    at law),  and by an implied  covenant of good faith and fair
                    dealing.

          (c)       To the extent  permitted by law, to  indemnify  and hold you
                    harmless  and each  person,  if any, who controls you within
                    the  meaning of Section 15 of the Act,  against  any and all
                    losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to
                    which  you,  they or any of you or them may  become  subject
                    under the Act or  otherwise,  and to reimburse  you and such
                    controlling  person  or  persons,  if any,  for any legal or
                    other  expenses  incurred by you or them in connection  with
                    defending  any  action,  insofar  as  such  losses,  claims,
                    damages,  liabilities  or actions  arise out of or are based
                    upon any alleged untrue  statement or untrue  statement of a
                    material fact contained in the  Registration  Statement,  in
                    the  Basic  Prospectus,  or in  the  Prospectus,  or if  the
                    Company  shall  furnish or cause to be  furnished to you any
                    amendments   or  any   supplemental   information,   in  the
                    Prospectus  as  so  amended  or   supplemented   other  than
                    amendments  or  supplements  relating  solely to  securities
                    other than the Notes  (provided  that if such  Prospectus or
                    such Prospectus,  as amended or supplemented,  is used after
                    the period of time  referred to in Section 4(b)  hereof,  it
                    shall contain such  amendments or supplements as the Company
                    deems necessary to comply with Section 10(a) of the Act), or
                    arise  out of or are  based  upon any  alleged  omission  or
                    omission  to state  therein a material  fact  required to be
                    stated therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein
                    not  misleading,  except  insofar  as such  losses,  claims,
                    damages,  liabilities  or actions  arise out of or are based
                    upon any such  alleged  untrue  statement  or  omission,  or
                    untrue   statement  or  omission   which  was  made  in  the
                    Registration  Statement,  in the Basic  Prospectus or in the
                    Prospectus,   or  in  the   Prospectus   as  so  amended  or
                    supplemented,  in  reliance  upon  and  in  conformity  with
                    information  furnished  in  writing  to  the  Company  by or
                    through you expressly for use therein or with any statements
                    in or omissions from that part of the Registration Statement
                    that shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility under the
                    Trust  Indenture  Act,  of any  indenture  trustee  under an
                    indenture  of the  Company,  and except that this  indemnity
                    shall  not  inure  to  your   benefit   (or  of  any  person
                    controlling you) on account of any losses, claims,  damages,
                    liabilities or actions arising from the sale of the Notes to
                    any person if such loss  arises from the fact that a copy of
                    the  Prospectus,  as the same may  then be  supplemented  or
                    amended to the extent such Prospectus was provided to you by
                    the  Company   (excluding,   however,   any  document   then
                    incorporated or deemed  incorporated  therein by reference),
                    was not sent or given by you to such person with or prior to
                    the  written  confirmation  of the  sale  involved  and  the
                    alleged  omission or alleged untrue statement or omission or
                    untrue   statement  was  corrected  in  the   Prospectus  as
                    supplemented  or amended  at the time of such  confirmation,
                    and such Prospectus, as amended or supplemented,  was timely
                    delivered to you by the Company.  You agree  promptly  after
                    the receipt by you of written notice of the  commencement of
                    any action in respect to which indemnity from the Company on
                    account of its agreement  contained in this Section 5(c) may
                    be sought  by you,  or by any  person  controlling  you,  to
                    notify the Company in writing of the  commencement  thereof,
                    but your  omission  so to  notify  the  Company  of any such
                    action  shall not  release the  Company  from any  liability
                    which  it may  have  to you or to  such  controlling  person
                    otherwise  than  on  account  of  the  indemnity   agreement
                    contained  in this  Section  8(a).  In case any such  action
                    shall be brought against you or any such person  controlling
                    you and you shall  notify the  Company  of the  commencement
                    thereof, as above provided, the Company shall be entitled to
                    participate  in,  and,  to the  extent  that it shall  wish,
                    including  the  selection  of  counsel  (such  counsel to be
                    reasonably  acceptable to the indemnified  party), to direct
                    the defense thereof at its own expense.  In case the Company
                    elects  to direct  such  defense  and  select  such  counsel
                    (hereinafter,  "Company's counsel"),  you or any controlling
                    person shall have the right to employ your own counsel, but,
                    in any such  case,  the fees and  expenses  of such  counsel
                    shall be at your  expense  unless (i) the Company has agreed
                    in writing to pay such fees and  expenses  or (ii) the named
                    parties to any such action (including any impleaded parties)
                    include both you or any  controlling  person and the Company
                    and you or any controlling person shall have been advised by
                    your counsel that a conflict of interest between the Company
                    and  you  or any  controlling  person  may  arise  (and  the
                    Company's  counsel  shall have  concurred in good faith with
                    such advice) and for this reason it is not desirable for the
                    Company's  counsel to represent both the indemnifying  party
                    and the  indemnified  party (it being  understood,  however,
                    that the Company shall not, in connection  with any one such
                    action or  separate  but  substantially  similar  or related
                    actions  in the same  jurisdiction  arising  out of the same
                    general  allegations  or  circumstances,  be liable  for the
                    reasonable  fees and expenses of more than one separate firm
                    of  attorneys  for you or any  controlling  person (plus any
                    local counsel  retained by you or any controlling  person in
                    their reasonable  judgment),  which firm (or firms) shall be
                    designated in writing by you or any controlling  person). No
                    indemnifying party shall,  without the prior written consent
                    of the indemnified parties,  settle or compromise or consent
                    to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation,
                    or any  investigation  or  proceeding  by  any  governmental
                    agency  or  body,  commenced  or  threatened,  or any  claim
                    whatsoever  in  respect  of which  indemnification  could be
                    sought under this Section 5 (whether or not the  indemnified
                    parties are actual or  potential  parties  thereto),  unless
                    such  settlement,  compromise  or consent  (i)  includes  an
                    unconditional  release  of each  indemnified  party from all
                    liability  arising  out of such  litigation,  investigation,
                    proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as
                    to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act
                    by or on behalf of any indemnified  party. In no event shall
                    any indemnifying  party have any liability or responsibility
                    in respect of the settlement or compromise of, or consent to
                    the entry of any  judgment  with  respect to, any pending or
                    threatened  action  or  claim  effected  without  its  prior
                    written consent.

          (d)       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.

          (e)       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.

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

          (g)       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.)

          (h)       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
                    Indiana  Utility   Regulatory   Commission;   and  (E)  such
                    consents,   approvals,   authorizations,   registrations  or
                    qualifications  as may be required under state securities or
                    Blue Sky laws.

         The Company's indemnity agreement contained in Section 5(c) hereof, and
its covenants, warranties and representations contained in this Agreement, shall
remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on
behalf of any person, and shall survive the delivery of and payment for the
[Unsecured Notes] hereunder.

         6.       Warranties of and Indemnity by Underwriters:

          (a)       Each   Underwriter   warrants   and   represents   that  the
                    information  furnished in writing to the Company through the
                    Representative for use in the Registration Statement, in the
                    Basic Prospectus, in the Prospectus, or in the Prospectus as
                    amended or supplemented is correct as to such Underwriter.

          (b)       Each Underwriter  agrees, to the extent permitted by law, to
                    indemnify,  hold  harmless and  reimburse  the Company,  its
                    directors  and such of its officers as shall have signed the
                    Registration  Statement,   and  each  person,  if  any,  who
                    controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
                    Act,  to the same  extent  and  upon  the same  terms as the
                    indemnity agreement of the Company set forth in Section 5(c)
                    hereof,  but only  with  respect  to  untrue  statements  or
                    alleged untrue  statements or omissions or alleged omissions
                    made  in  the  Registration   Statement,  or  in  the  Basic
                    Prospectus, or in the Prospectus, or in the Prospectus as so
                    amended or supplemented,  in reliance upon and in conformity
                    with information  furnished in writing to the Company by the
                    Representative  on behalf of such Underwriter  expressly for
                    use therein.  The Company agrees  promptly after the receipt
                    by it of written notice of the commencement of any action in
                    respect  to  which  indemnity  from you on  account  of your
                    agreement  contained  in this  Section 6(b) may be sought by
                    the Company,  or by any person  controlling the Company,  to
                    notify you in writing of the commencement  thereof,  but the
                    Company's omission so to notify you of any such action shall
                    not release you from any liability which you may have to the
                    Company  or to such  controlling  person  otherwise  than on
                    account of the indemnity agreement contained in this Section
                    6(b).

                    The  indemnity  agreement  on the  part of each  Underwriter
                    contained  in Section 6(b) hereof,  and the  warranties  and
                    representations  of  such  Underwriter   contained  in  this
                    Agreement,  shall remain in full force and effect regardless
                    of any investigation  made by or on behalf of the Company or
                    other person,  and shall survive the delivery of and payment
                    for the [Unsecured Notes] hereunder.

         7. Default of Underwriters: If any Underwriter under this Agreement
shall fail or refuse (otherwise than for some reason sufficient to justify, in
accordance with the terms hereof, the cancellation or termination of its
obligations hereunder) to purchase and pay for the principal amount of
[Unsecured Notes] which it has agreed to purchase and pay for hereunder, and the
aggregate principal amount of [Unsecured Notes] which such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more
than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the [Unsecured Notes], the
other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions which the
amounts of [Unsecured Notes] set forth opposite their names in Exhibit 1 hereto
bear to the aggregate principal amount of [Unsecured Notes] set forth opposite
the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the [Unsecured
Notes] which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or
refused to purchase on the terms set forth herein; provided that in no event
shall the principal amount of [Unsecured Notes] which any Underwriter has agreed
to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof be increased pursuant to this Section 7
by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of [Unsecured
Notes] without the written consent of such Underwriter. If any Underwriter or
Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase [Unsecured Notes] and the
aggregate principal amount of [Unsecured Notes] with respect to which such
default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the
[Unsecured Notes] then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the
part of any defaulting Underwriter; provided, however, that the non-defaulting
Underwriters may agree, in their sole discretion, to purchase the [Unsecured
Notes] which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or
refused to purchase on the terms set forth herein. In the event the Company
shall be entitled to but shall not elect (within the time period specified
above) to exercise its rights under clause (a) and/or (b), then this Agreement
shall terminate. In the event of any such termination, the Company shall not be
under any liability to any Underwriter (except to the extent, if any, provided
in Section 4(h) hereof), nor shall any Underwriter (other than an Underwriter
who shall have failed or refused to purchase the [Unsecured Notes] without some
reason sufficient to justify, in accordance with the terms hereof, its
termination of its obligations hereunder) be under any liability to the Company
or any other Underwriter.

         Nothing herein contained shall release any defaulting Underwriter from
its liability to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages
occasioned by its default hereunder.

         8. Termination of Agreement by the Underwriters: This Agreement may be
terminated at any time prior to the Time of Purchase by the Representative if,
after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Time of
Purchase, in the Representative's reasonable judgment, the Underwriters' ability
to market the [Unsecured Notes] shall have been materially adversely affected
because:

                    (i)  trading in  securities  on the New York Stock  Exchange
          shall have been  generally  suspended by the  Commission or by the New
          York Stock Exchange, or

                    (ii) (A) a war  involving the United States of America shall
          have  been  declared,  (B) any  other  national  calamity  shall  have
          occurred,  or (C) any  conflict  involving  the armed  services of the
          United States of America shall have escalated, or

                    (iii) a general banking  moratorium shall have been declared
          by Federal or New York State authorities, or

                    (iv) there  shall have been any  decrease  in the ratings of
          the Company's first mortgage bonds by Moody's Investors Services, Inc.
          (Moody's) or Standard & Poor's  Ratings Group (S&P) or either  Moody's
          or S&P shall  publicly  announce that it has such first mortgage bonds
          under consideration for possible downgrade.

                  If the Representative elects to terminate this Agreement, as
provided in this Section 8, the Representative will promptly notify the Company
by telephone or by telex or facsimile transmission, confirmed in writing. If
this Agreement shall not be carried out by any Underwriter for any reason
permitted hereunder, or if the sale of the [Unsecured Notes] to the Underwriters
as herein contemplated shall not be carried out because the Company is not able
to comply with the terms hereof, the Company shall not be under any obligation
under this Agreement and shall not be liable to any Underwriter or to any member
of any selling group for the loss of anticipated profits from the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement (except that the Company shall remain liable to
the extent provided in Section 4(h) hereof) and the Underwriters shall be under
no liability to the Company nor be under any liability under this Agreement to
one another.

          9. Notices:  All notices hereunder shall,  unless otherwise  expressly
provided, be in writing and be delivered at or mailed to the following addresses
or by telex or  facsimile  transmission  confirmed  in writing to the  following
addresses:          if         to         the          Underwriters,          to
_______________________________________________,        as       Representative,
_____________________________________________,   and,  if  to  the  Company,  to
Kentucky  Power Company,  c/o American  Electric  Power Service  Corporation,  1
Riverside Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215, attention of A. A. Pena, Treasurer,  (fax
614/223-1687).

         10. Parties in Interest: The agreement herein set forth has been and is
made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company (including the
directors thereof and such of the officers thereof as shall have signed the
Registration Statement), the controlling persons, if any, referred to in
Sections 5 and 6 hereof, and their respective successors, assigns, executors and
administrators, and, except as expressly otherwise provided in Section 7 hereof,
no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by the virtue of this
Agreement.

         11. Definition of Certain Terms: If there be two or more persons, firms
or corporations named in Exhibit 1 hereto, the term "Underwriters", as used
herein, shall be deemed to mean the several persons, firms or corporations, so
named (including the Representative herein mentioned, if so named) and any party
or parties substituted pursuant to Section 7 hereof, and the term
"Representative", as used herein, shall be deemed to mean the representative or
representatives designated by, or in the manner authorized by, the Underwriters.
All obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are several and not joint. If
there shall be only one person, firm or corporation named in Exhibit 1 hereto,
the term "Underwriters" and the term "Representative", as used herein, shall
mean such person, firm or corporation. The term "successors" as used in this
Agreement shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser, of any of the
[Unsecured Notes] from any of the respective Underwriters.

         12. Conditions of the Company's Obligations: The obligations of the
Company hereunder are subject to the Underwriters' performance of their
obligations hereunder, and the further condition that at the Time of Purchase
the Kentucky Public Service Commission shall have issued an appropriate order,
and such order shall remain in full force and effect, authorizing the
transactions contemplated hereby.

          13.  Applicable  Law: This Agreement will be governed and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

          14.  Execution  of  Counterparts:  This  Agreement  may be executed in
several counterparts,  each of which shall be regarded as an original and all of
which shall constitute one and the same document.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, on the date
first above written.

                                            KENTUCKY POWER COMPANY


                                            By:____________________________
                                                    A. A. Pena
                                                    Treasurer


- -----------------------------------
      as Representative
and on behalf of the Underwriters
   named in Exhibit 1 hereto


By:____________________________






                                    EXHIBIT 1

        Name                                          Principal Amount