GAHANNA, Ohio, Dec. 17, 2014 – AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), and AEP Ohio Transmission Company will use helicopters and implosion welding to rewire the Sporn-Muskingum River 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Waterford, Ohio to New Haven, West Virginia.

The company anticipates beginning the work Jan. 5, 2015, near Waterford, Ohio, and then work south. Work will be done during daylight hours, 12 hours a day, seven days a week and is expected to be completed by June 1, 2015. AEP has contracted with Winco Powerline Services, a Quanta Services Company, which will fly a black Hughes MD500 Helicopter. AEP has been using helicopters for aerial line work in Ohio for more than 10 years.

Implosion welding is the act of imploding, or bursting inward, of the metal on the 345-kV transmission lines to splice them together. The public can expect to hear a single burst for each weld along the line. There will be approximately 12 to 24 implosions per week.

AEP’s construction philosophy for all projects focuses on the safety of the public, its employees and contractors. AEP will contact landowners prior to implosions in their area. AEP will contact local sheriffs’ departments and local 911 to notify them of where and when work will be done and when it will be complete. AEP will remove all implosive charges daily from the work site.
The Sporn-Muskingum River 345-kV transmission line traverses approximately 50 miles across parts of Washington, Morgan, Athens and Meigs counties in Ohio and Mason County in West Virginia. Communities near the route include Waterford, Cutler, Coolville, Chester and Racine in Ohio and New Haven in West Virginia.
This project is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to maintain and improve the reliability of its electric transmission system in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. The company sought and obtained approval from state regulators to complete this project. The approximate $70 million investment by AEP will address generation facility retirements in the area.
The public also can ask questions or make comments about this project or the construction timeline by leaving a detailed message by calling 614-552-1929.
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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 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.