Appalachian Power seeks public input on route for southwest Virginia transmission system improvement
Appalachian Power announced recently that it would host an open house next month to seek public input on the proposed $40 million Glendale Area Improvements Project to reduce the likelihood of power outages in Carroll and Wythe counties in Virginia.
The project will include the construction of three miles of transmission line and a substation as well as the removal of other transmission lines and an existing substation. It is a result of PJM Interconnection’s 2021 Winter Analysis.
“Appalachian Power has a responsibility to provide our customers with continued reliable electric service at an affordable price,” Amanda Cox, an external affairs manager for the utility, said. “The work we are proposing with this project will bolster our transmission system to make sure that it can handle customer power needs during extreme winter weather.”
The open house, which will take place on Aug. 2 in Galax, Virginia, aims to determine the best route for the new line.
“Open houses are vital to our process of determining a proposed line route,” Cox said. “We want to talk with as many landowners and community members to help guide our decision-making.”
Appalachian Power will use input from the open house and online submissions as well as additional field work to determine the project route.
The company plans to file an application later this year with the Virginia State Corporation Commission seeking approval for the project. If the company receives approval, construction is expected to begin in early 2020 and be completed by the summer of 2021.
