Appalachian Power representatives announced a proposed power line route for electrical upgrades in Tazewell County to support economic development and increase reliability.
The Pure Salmon Transmission Improvements Project includes building 2 miles of electric transmission line and a new substation. Company representatives determined the proposed power line route after reviewing land use, environmental impact and community input provided during an in-person open house held in June.
The proposed transmission line route begins at the substation site located at the Pure Salmon Fish Farm near Southwest Virginia Community College. The route travels southeast approximately 2 miles staying to the south of Wardell Road, crossing Route 738 and ending at an existing power line located just west of Powerline Road and Wardell Road.
“This area is growing, and we want to ensure continued reliable electric service for all of our customers, both residential and businesses,” said George Porter, Appalachian Power spokesperson.
Appalachian Power’s right-of-way representative plans to contact directly involved landowners to discuss next steps. Company representatives expect construction to begin in early 2023 and conclude the end of 2024.
Visit AppalachianPower.com/PureSalmon to view an interactive map of the proposed power line route and find additional information about the project.
Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is part of American Electric Power, which is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions. AEP’s approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.5 million customers in 11 states. AEP is also one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 5,900 megawatts of renewable energy.
