ROANOKE, Va. – Appalachian Power representatives are planning a second set of open houses for the Joshua Falls – Gladstone phase of the Central Virginia Transmission Reliability Project.

The project provides a new electrical source for the region, increases reliability for customers and supports the retirement of aging equipment. The project includes several phases over the next few years in five central Virginia counties.

The Joshua Falls – Gladstone phase involves building approximately 15 miles of transmission line and improving four substations in Amherst, Appomattox, Campbell and Nelson counties.

Company representatives hosted the first set of open houses in November 2019. Since then, the project team has significantly refined the potential power line route options. Team members conducted field studies, met with landowners and reviewed input from the community to narrow the route options.

 “A second set of open houses allows us to engage with additional landowners and gather more feedback,” said Larry Jackson, director of external affairs for Appalachian Power. “The project team wants to ensure we select a line route that minimizes impact on the community.”

Community members and landowners are invited to review project information at one of the following open houses:

• Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Appomattox County High School, located at 198 Evergreen Ave.
• Thursday, Feb. 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Amherst County High School, located at 139 Lancer Lane.

The events do not include a formal presentation. Attendees may come and go at any time to ask questions, view maps and submit suggestions to the project team. The team uses input from the open houses, online submissions and additional field work to determine a line route.

The project team plans to select a line route and seek approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission this summer. If approved, construction for the Joshua Falls – Gladstone phase begins in the summer of 2022 and lasts about a year.

Company representatives are also reviewing an existing transmission line in Albemarle County as part of the next phase of the Central Virginia Transmission Reliability Project. Plans include rebuilding a power line that begins at Esmont Substation located off of Irish Road, travels east for approximately 6 miles and ends at Scottsville Substation located off of James River Road. Right-of-way agents plan to contact landowners with existing easements along this line.

Visit AppalachianPower.com/CVTRP for more information, including detailed project maps, a timeline and updates.

Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric companies in the United States. AEP is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to customers. AEP’s more than   18,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy.