Why are these new facilities needed?
The Westlake Project is needed to maintain reliable electric service in Franklin County. Eastern Franklin County is one of the top percentile growth areas within AEP’s 11-state territory. A normal electrical load growth rate is about 2 percent a year.  In contrast, the area between U.S. Route 220 and Moneta has experienced an annual load growth rate of 6.7 percent per year for the past 17 years, and has seen a 17 percent annual load growth rate in the last three years.

How many customers are served by these overloaded facilities?
The Westlake Project reinforces communities served by the company’s Moneta, Blaine and Penhook Stations. Nearly 14,5000 customers, mostly in Franklin County, are served by these facilities.

How will these facilities increase electric reliability?
The new lines and station will prevent overloads of critical electric facilities and provide adequate capacity levels for future growth and development in the area.  Without this construction, electric demand will outpace the electric infrastructure jeopardizing the reliability of electric service for customers in the area.  Specifically, the lines and station will:

• Improve the reliability of service for customers in eastern Franklin County by reducing the length and thus the exposure of the distribution lines.
• Provide alternate ways to serve customers during power outages.
• Alleviate thermal overload conditions, which can cause power outages.
• Allow scheduled station maintenance without interrupting service to customers in the area.

Have there been any problems with reliability?
There is a rapidly growing problem.  Due to the length of the circuits and the number of customers fed from these circuits, the outage frequency and duration for customers in the area is higher than normal when compared to other Appalachian Power customers. The company experienced multiple critical loading conditions in Smith Mountain Lake area in December 2004.

 How will the line routes be chosen?
Appalachian Power is working with a routing consultant to determine the best path for the power lines. Certain existing physical constraints and routing factors that will need to be considered include: locating a suitable point to cross the Blackwater River; locating suitable points to cross over Routes 122 and 40; and limiting impact on landowners along the line route.

What kind of structures will the lines use?
The lines will be built using weathered single steel poles, rust in color and ranging from 65 to 110 feet tall. The average pole height will be 90 feet tall.

What is the timeline for the lines?
Permitting of the proposed corridors is in progress and should be concluded by the Fall of 2006. Right of way acquisition and line design will then commence. Right of way clearing and construction of the Blaine-Westlake Line is expected to begin early in 2007, and the line is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2007. Right of way clearing and construction of the Penhook-Westlake Line is expected to begin late in 2007, and that line is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2008.

How much will the lines cost? We estimate the total project will cost approximately $28 million. The first phase includes approximately $15 million for the Blaine to Westlake transmission line and associated substation and distribution facilities. The Westlake to Penhook line is estimated to cost approximately $13 million.

How much right of way is needed for a 138kV line?
Typically a 138kV line needs 100 feet of right of way.

What other work is included in this reinforcement project?
In addition to constructing the 10-mile 138kV transmission line from Blaine Station to the new Westlake Station, Appalachian Power will install a new 138/34.5kV, 30 MVA transformer at the new Westlake Station and will complete other station work and associated distribution work to integrate the new line and transformer into the existing transmission system.

Has the Virginia State Corporation Commission ruled that the lines can be built? These lines are an extension in the normal course of doing business, and therefore, Appalachian Power does not need to seek approval from the SCC to build the lines.

 What will be the environmental impact of this line?
A 138kV line requires a relatively small footprint. Therefore, the disturbance caused by the project will be limited to moderate tree removal and other line clearing activities.

Was an environmental impact study performed on this project?
Although there was no requirement that Appalachian perform and file a detailed environmental impact study for this project, the company seeks to identify a line route that has the least impact to the environment and surrounding community. The impact the new line will have on the environment from a natural, cultural and visual resource standpoint is always considered.  During the routing process, every effort is made to avoid any natural resource areas such as rare and endangered species, wetlands, trout streams, springs, old growth forests, etc.  Cultural resources such as homes, businesses, historic sites, archeological sites, parks, recreational areas and cemeteries are also identified and considered during route selection.  The visual impact of the line is also considered and limited, wherever possible, by the route selection, type of structures used and the placement of the structures along the line route.

Are there any alternatives to building this line?
In 1984, Blaine Station was upgraded to a higher operating voltage and the same upgrade was completed at Moneta Station in 1995. These upgrades allowed Appalachian Power to increase the length of the circuitry in the area to maintain adequate voltage levels. These two stations are currently operating at Appalachian Power’s highest distribution voltage and further upgrades to these two stations will not adequately address the growing electric demands and the reliability concerns in the area.

Two alternatives to building this line to the proposed location were studied. One alternative, installing additional transformers at both Blaine and Moneta Stations and constructing multiple double circuits, would alleviate the thermal overloads, but would not provide a solution to the area’s reliability problems. A second alternative, constructing a nine-mile 138 kV transmission line from Blaine Station to a new Westlake Station near the intersection of Route 670 and Route 834, would address the reliability issues, but would not make provisions for the anticipated growth on the Scruggs Peninsula.

Are there health risks from exposure to magnetic fields near high voltage power lines? All electrical equipment carrying a current generates electric and magnetic fields (EMF). This pertains as much to the electrical appliances in our homes as it does to power lines, power stations and their related equipment. Questions have been raised over the past 20 years about a possible link between exposure to EMF and certain kinds of health effects. While numerous studies have been conducted, as a body of work they have failed to link EMF to specific health effects. More recent studies have cast further doubt on the hypothesized link.

Where can I get more information?
For Additional information about the Westlake Project contact Appalachian Power at 1-800-956-4237.