What
Appalachian Power proposes to build an electric distribution station in Botetourt  County, Va. The station will be supplied by a proposed transmission line approximately two miles long. An electric station converts electricity so it can be distributed throughout a locality to serve businesses, factories or residences. The station will help meet growing electric demands around the Lake Forest area of southern Botetourt County. It will assist in adding to the electric infrastructure for Botetourt County and eastern Roanoke County.

Where - Station Site Selection Process
Stations need to be centrally located as near as possible to electrical users  (businesses, factories, residences). This is the idea of the “load center”.

Southern Botetourt County’s load center can generally be described as near the intersection of Mountain Pass Road and Laymantown Road. A good distribution station location should be within a half-mile radius of the load center.

The Lake Forest Project site selection team will work with landowners near the load center in an attempt to find suitable property for a station.

To check the visual aspects of this site, landscape architects will analyze the site using the latest measurement techniques, and recommend ways to make it blend with the existing environment.

How
This station has two main parts, the access road and line corridor, and the station site. The station site is approximately 3.5 acres.

The station site is a cleared and graded area, onto which a gravel bed is placed. The electrical transformers, circuit breakers, and other equipment are installed on this gravel bed. The construction will be low-profile to help reduce visual impacts. The company will attempt to utilize natural buffers, vegetation and topography to help reduce visual disturbances caused by the station. A building is constructed for the electronic equipment, which measures the electricity and controls the circuit breakers and switches. A fence encloses the building and all the equipment.

Lake Forest Information

• Intro
• Overview
• Line Routing Process
• Right of Way acquisition
• Example station and line