GAHANNA, Ohio, May 23, 2014 – As part of a regional upgrade to the transmission grid in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia, AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), and the AEP Ohio Transmission Company plan to replace the existing wire on a 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that runs from Waterford, Ohio, to New Haven, West Virginia.
All of the work will take place within existing transmission line right of way, and more than 90 percent of it will be done on existing towers. Fourteen towers will be replaced with new towers, and four additional ones will be added. The new wire will be the same voltage but able to carry more current. The $70 million line replacement project is expected to be complete by June 2015. AEP Ohio will seek approval to construct the project from the Ohio Power Siting Board. The company will also seek approval from West Virginia regulators.
The project will upgrade two 345-kV circuits using existing right of way between Muskingum River Station in Washington County, Ohio, Waterford Station in Washington County, Ohio, and Sporn Station in Mason County, West Virginia. The project will traverse approximately 50 miles through Washington, Morgan, Athens and Meigs counties in Ohio and Mason County in West Virginia.
This upgrade is needed to protect against power outages in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. AEP and PJM, the regional transmission authority to which AEP belongs, have completed studies and without this project, the performance of the company’s transmission system will be inadequate to provide the level of service that its customers expect.
Customers can find out more information about the Sporn-Muskingum River 345-kV Transmission Line Reconductoring Project at aeptransmission.com/Ohio/.
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AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP Subsidiary Ohio Power Company in Ohio. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a more than 40,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east and north Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. News releases and other information about AEP can be found at AEP.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
AEP Ohio: 1-866-641-1151
aepohiomediarelations@aep.com