Appalachian Power to upgrade transmission lines in West Virginia
Appalachian Power and its affiliate, AEP West Virginia Transmission Co., are upgrading the electric transmission system in northern West Virginia.
The Lakin-Racine Transmission Line Rebuild Project will upgrade about 13 miles of transmission lines as well as a substation. The power line starts at Lakin Substation in Mason County and heads southeast toward Letart. They also head northeast, crossing the Ohio River and ending at the Racine Hydro Substation in Meigs County, Ohio.
The project follows a report by PJM Interconnection’s 2022 Winter Analysis. PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization that monitors the electric grid in 13 states, including West Virginia.
“The upgrades help to strengthen the local power grid to support electricity demand during extreme weather conditions,” George Porter, Appalachian Power spokesperson, said. “The improvements also help to reduce the likelihood of extended power outages.”
Landowners in the area can learn more about it and provide feedback at a virtual open house, while landowners within the project area will also receive a packet in the mail that includes additional project details and a comment card for feedback.
“The online open house and comment cards allow us to gather input from the public while keeping their safety and health our top priority,” Porter said. “We encourage landowners to take advantage of these avenues for sharing input or give us a call to ask questions and provide feedback.”
The input from the virtual open house, the comment cards and additional field work will be used to determine a power line route that minimizes impact on the community and environment.
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2021 and conclude by summer 2022.
