CHARLESTON, W.Va., April 10, 2014 – Appalachian Power today announced a project to improve the electric transmission system in and around Fayette County, W.Va. Work associated with the project will address voltage, thermal, and reliability issues identified by PJM, an independent regional transmission operator.
The project, which is centered roughly eight miles east of Fayetteville at the existing Brackens Creek Substation, involves constructing approximately nine miles of new 138 kV transmission line and approximately two miles of new 69 kV transmission line; rebuilding and upgrading approximately 14 miles of existing 69 kV transmission line to operate at 138 kV; removing approximately four-and-a-half miles of existing 69 kV line and two existing substation sites; and constructing two new substations.
The company will host an informational public workshop on the project Tuesday, April 22, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Midland Trail High School. The school is located along Route 60 East just off Route 19 in Hico. Company officials will be available to gather input and answer questions about the project.
“These upgrades will meet the immediate need to strengthen the grid, and at the same time enhance the reliability of electric service for customers in and around Fayette County,” said Charles Patton, Appalachian Power president and chief operating officer. “Upgrading the electric transmission system also positions the region well for growth in the future.”
On March 25 an Appalachian Power affiliate, AEP West Virginia Transmission Company, Inc. (WV Transco), filed a request with the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking certification to construct the project.
Pending PSC certification, construction is expected to begin this November and be complete by the end of 2017.
Customers can find more information about the Fayette County Area Transmission Project at http://www.appalachianpower.com/Fayette.
Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, which delivers 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 nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.
AEP West Virginia Transmission Company, Inc., an affiliate of Appalachian Power Company, is one of seven public utility companies that are wholly owned subsidiaries of AEP Transmission Company. AEP West Virginia Transmission Company was formed as a transmission-only company to finance, develop, construct, own and operate new transmission assets in West Virginia that are physically connected to AEP's existing system.
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