In June 2006, Appalachian Power energized the 90-mile Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry 765-kilovolt
(kV) transmission line connecting power stations in Wyoming County, W.Va., and Jacksons
Ferry, Va. The new line instantly improved electric reliability in a part of the
company's West Virginia and Virginia service area that had not seen major reinforcement
in more than 30 years.
Energizing the Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry project brought to conclusion one of the longest
standing transmission construction projects in the US. AEP first proposed construction
of a new transmission line to serve its growing southern West Virginia and southwest
Virginia customers in 1990. Ultimately, the $306 million project took 13 years to
permit and just under three years to construct.
Customers can learn a lot about the delivery of electricity by looking at the Wyoming-Jacksons
Ferry project. The new line was needed because customer demand for electricity outpaced
what the transmission system could reliably carry. The result was an increased risk
of system failure that could cause power outages and blackouts.
In 1973, the company completed the last major "backbone" 765 kV transmission line
serving the area. Between 1973 and 2004, peak energy demand more than doubled. In
1973, customers set a peak usage of 2,720 megawatts (MW). In 2004, customers' peak
usage topped 7,000 MW.
State regulators were charged with evaluating Appalachian's proposal and assessing
alternatives. The Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry project was approved by state commissions
in Virginia and West Virginia in May 2001 and March 2002, respectively. In addition,
the project crosses federal land. In the fall of 2003 the US Forest Service issued
a special use permit allowing the project to cross 11 miles of federal land. Appalachian
Power began clearing rights of way for the project in late 2003, and started construction
in April 2004. The last of 333 towers was erected in October 2005 and the line was
energized in June 2006.
