Exhibit 25

                                    FORM T-1

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                            STATEMENT OF ELIGIBILITY
                   UNDER THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT OF 1939 OF A
                    CORPORATION DESIGNATED TO ACT AS TRUSTEE

                      CHECK IF AN APPLICATION TO DETERMINE
                      ELIGIBILITY OF A TRUSTEE PURSUANT TO
                             SECTION 305(b)(2) |__|



                              THE BANK OF NEW YORK
               (Exact name of trustee as specified in its charter)

New York                                                   13-5160382
(State of incorporation                                    (I.R.S. employer
if not a U.S. national bank)                               identification no.)

One Wall Street, New York, N.Y.                            10286
(Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip code)



                       SOUTHWESTERN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY
               (Exact name of obligor as specified in its charter)


Delaware                                                   72-0323455
(State or other jurisdiction of                            (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)                             identification no.)

428 Travis Street
Shreveport, Louisiana                                      71156-0001
(Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip code)


                                  Senior Notes
                       (Title of the indenture securities)






1. General information.  Furnish the following information as to the Trustee:

(a) Name and address of each examining or supervising authority to which
it is subject.


                  Name                                        Address


Superintendent of Banks of the State of             2 Rector Street, New York,
New York                                            N.Y.  10006, and
                                                    Albany, N.Y. 12203

Federal Reserve Bank of New York                    33 Liberty Plaza, New York,
                                                    N.Y.  10045

        Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Washington, D.C.  20429

        New York Clearing House Association   New York, New York   10005

        (b) Whether it is authorized to exercise corporate trust powers.

        Yes.

2.      Affiliations with Obligor.

        If the  obligor  is an  affiliate  of the  trustee,  describe  each such
affiliation.

        None.

16.     List of Exhibits.

        Exhibits  identified in parentheses  below, on file with the Commission,
        are incorporated  herein by reference as an exhibit hereto,  pursuant to
        Rule  7a-29  under the Trust  Indenture  Act of 1939 (the  "Act") and 17
        C.F.R. 229.10(d).

        1.     A copy of the  Organization  Certificate  of The Bank of New York
               (formerly Irving Trust Company) as now in effect,  which contains
               the  authority  to  commence  business  and a grant of  powers to
               exercise corporate trust powers. (Exhibit 1 to Amendment No. 1 to
               Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-6215,  Exhibits
               1a and 1b to Form  T-1  filed  with  Registration  Statement  No.
               33-21672  and  Exhibit  1 to Form  T-1  filed  with  Registration
               Statement No. 33-29637.)

        4.     A copy of the existing By-laws of the Trustee. (Exhibit 4 to Form
               T-1 filed with Registration Statement No. 33-31019.)

        6.     The consent of the Trustee required by Section 321(b) of the
               Act. (Exhibit 6 to Form T-1 filed with Registration Statement
               No. 33-44051.)

        7.     A copy of the latest report of condition of the Trustee published
               pursuant  to law or to the  requirements  of its  supervising  or
               examining authority.








                                    SIGNATURE



        Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Act, the Trustee,  The Bank of New
York, a corporation  organized  and existing  under the laws of the State of New
York,  has duly caused this  statement of eligibility to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned,  thereunto duly authorized, all in The City of New York, and
State of New York, on the 26th day of January, 2000.


                                        THE BANK OF NEW YORK


                                        By:       /s/  MICHAEL CULHANE
                                        Name:    MICHAEL CULHANE
                                        Title:      VICE  PRESIDENT









                                                                 Exhibit 7

                       Consolidated Report of Condition of

                              THE BANK OF NEW YORK

                    of One Wall Street, New York, N.Y. 10286
                     And Foreign and Domestic Subsidiaries,
a member of the Federal Reserve System,  at the close of business  September 30,
1999,  published in accordance  with a call made by the Federal  Reserve Bank of
this District pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Reserve Act.

                                                                Dollar Amounts
ASSETS                                                           in Thousands
Cash and balances due from depository
institutions:
   Noninterest-bearing balances and currency and coin..           $6,394,412
   Interest-bearing balances...........................            3,966,749
Securities:
   Held-to-maturity securities.........................              805,227
   Available-for-sale securities.......................            4,152,260
Federal funds sold and Securities purchased under
agreements to resell................................               1,449,439
Loans and lease financing receivables:
   Loans and leases, net of unearned
     income...............  37,900,739
LESS: Allowance for loan and
     lease losses............  572,76
LESS: Allocated transfer risk
     reserve........................11,754
Loans and leases, net of unearned income,
     allowance, and reserve............................           37,316,224
Trading Assets.........................................            1,646,634
Premises and fixed assets (including capitalized
   leases).............................................              678,439
Other real estate owned................................               11,571
Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and
associated companies...................................              183,038
Customers' liability to this bank on acceptances
outstanding............................................              349,282
Intangible assets......................................              790,558
Other assets...........................................            2,498,658
Total assets...........................................          $60,242,491








Deposits:
   In domestic offices.................................          $26,030,231
   Noninterest-bearing.......................11,348,986
   Interest-bearing..........................14,681,245
   In foreign offices, Edge and Agreement
     subsidiaries, and IBFs............................           18,530,950
   Noninterest-bearing..........................156,624
   Interest-bearing..........................18,374,326
Federal funds purchased and Securities sold under
   agreements to repurchase............................            2,094,678
Demand notes issued to the U.S.Treasury................              232,459
Trading liabilities....................................            2,081,462
Other borrowed money:
   With remaining maturity of one year or less.........              863,201
   With remaining maturity of more than one year
     through three years...............................                  449
   With remaining maturity of more than three years....               31,080
Bank's liability on acceptances executed and
   outstanding.........................................              351,286
Subordinated notes and debentures......................            1,308,000
Other liabilities......................................            3,055,031
Total liabilities......................................           54,578,827


EQUITY CAPITAL
Common stock...........................................            1,135,284
Surplus................................................              815,314
Undivided profits and capital reserves.................            3,759,164
Net unrealized holding gains (losses) on
   available-for-sale securities.......................      (        15,440)
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments....       (       30,658)
Total equity capital...................................            5,663,664
Total liabilities and equity capital...................          $60,242,491













         I, Thomas J.  Mastro,  Senior Vice  President  and  Comptroller  of the
above-named  bank do hereby  declare  that this  Report  of  Condition  has been
prepared in conformance with the  instructions  issued by the Board of Governors
of the  Federal  Reserve  System  and is true to the  best of my  knowledge  and
belief.

                                                         Thomas J. Mastro

         We, the undersigned directors, attest to the correctness of this Report
of Condition  and declare that it has been examined by us and to the best of our
knowledge  and belief has been  prepared in  conformance  with the  instructions
issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal  Reserve  System and is true and
correct.

Thomas A. Reyni
Alan R. Griffith                                                  Directors
Gerald L. Hassell