APPLE GROVE, W.Va. — A nearly 30-mile power transmission line in Mason County is due to be upgraded next year.
Appalachian Power is reaching out to landowners along the line along with other customers to talk more about the work they have planned.
Company Spokesman George Porter said the work is being done because the line is aging and is in need of an upgrade.
“That line was built in the 60’s and now we’re looking at 50 or 60 years of weather, like ice and other storms. So we want to replace the wooden poles with steel, reliable structures,” Porter explained.
The new poles will be taller and sturdier and therefore may not require as many on the line stretching across much of Mason County from Lakin to Apple Grove.
The area will soon be home to Nucor Steel which will locate its multi-billion dollar steel mill in Apple Grove. According to Porter they have a separate project they’re working on with Nucor, but he added this project will also be a benefit to the company and any others along the line. He said the Lakin-Apple Grove upgrade was actually recommended by those who maintain the power grid, PJM.
“PJM put this project in their 2024 summer analysis, which means they said of all the lines we had this is the one they felt if stress were put on the lines in the summer you could cause issues on the power grid,” he explained.
The project is not scheduled for construction until next year, but the company is holding virtual public hearings with landowners and customers who have questions.
“We want customers to provide us with concerns or information they may have. We’re mailing out individual packages to everyone affected. Most of these folks already have the lines on their property, so we’re working with customers to work out any concerns,” he explained.
Customers can click here for more information.
The line will remain a 138 KV line from a substation on Route 62 near Lakin to the Apple Grove substation on Route 2.