Dive Summary:
- Appalachian Power announced Wednesday plans to spend $337 million to strengthen electrical transmission lines in West Virginia, and primarily in the Kanawha Valley.
- Some of the work will replace facilities built in the 1920s to 1940s which haven’t undergone an upgrade in decades. The strengthening of the transmission lines are also necessary in the wake of the Kanawha River and Philip Sporn plants, now retired.
- Upgrades include rebuilding 52 miles of existing lines and upgrading substations. Charles Patton, president and CEO of Appalachian Power, said: "These upgrades not only meet the immediate need to strengthen the grid, but position the region well for growth in the future."
From the article:
“The rebuild involves removing current 138 kilovolt transmission towers and replacing them with newer and sturdier towers that can carry the same voltage, but more electrical current. The new towers will be up to 120 feet tall, compared with the existing towers, which are about 100 feet tall…”