$75 MILLION GRID IMPROVEMENTS FOR KANAWHA-ROANE COUNTY ANNOUNCED - Public Meeting Dec. 8

(11/27/2016)
Energy companies announced Friday that there are plans to expand the electric transmission grid in Kanawha-Roane County.

According to a release, the $75 million expansion includes a new transmission line and key substations that will be constructed and owned by Transource Energy, an affiliate of American Electric Power.

The project will include construction of about 25 miles of new 138-kilovolt transmission line, three new substations and additional upgrades to other transmission facilities.

The proposed work will provide a grid capable of handling the increase of demand in Kanawha and Roane counties.

PJM Interconnection identified the need for the project in a 2014 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan. In June, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia granted Transource approval to construct the project.

According to the release, Appalachian Power and First Energy will construct additional facilities to incorporate the upgrades.

Transource will hold an open house to introduce the project on Thursday, December 8 at Walton Elementary/Middle School.

Transource will own two of the three new substations. One located near Charleston and the second about 3 miles east of the Roane-Calhoun county line. The third substation will be in Walton and operated by Appalachian Power.

Construction is expected to start in 2017 and be completed by mid-2019.