Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry 765-kV Project
In June 2006, Appalachian Power energized the 90-mile Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting power stations in Wyoming County, W.Va., and Jacksons Ferry, Va. The new line instantly improved electric reliability in a part of the company’s West Virginia and Virginia service area that had not seen major reinforcement in more than 30 years.
Energizing the Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry project brought to conclusion one of the longest standing transmission construction projects in the US. AEP first proposed construction of a new transmission line to serve its growing southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia customers in 1990. Ultimately, the $306 million project took 13 years to permit and just under three years to construct.
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Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry had a long and difficult history, but AEP found a way to meet the citizens’ electric needs as well as satisfy people’s environmental concerns. We were respectful not only to the forest lands and their flora and fauna, but to the rivers and scenic trails that we had to cross along the way. This project speaks volumes about what an organization can do if it is willing to work with the constituents who will be affected by such an undertaking. Mike Morris, May 8, 2006
Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry dedication ceremony
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Why was the line needed?
Customers can learn a lot about the delivery of electricity by looking at the Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry project. The new line was needed because customer demand for electricity outpaced what the transmission system could reliably carry. The result was an increased risk of system failure that could cause power outages and blackouts.
In 1973, the company completed the last major "backbone" 765 kV transmission line serving the area. Between 1973 and 2004, peak energy demand more than doubled. In 1973, customers set a peak usage of 2,720 megawatts (MW). In 2004, customers' peak usage topped 7,000 MW.
The process
State regulators were charged with evaluating Appalachian's proposal and assessing alternatives. The Wyoming-Jacksons Ferry project was approved by state commissions in Virginia and West Virginia in May 2001 and March 2002, respectively. In addition, the project crosses federal land. In the fall of 2003 the US Forest Service issued a special use permit allowing the project to cross 11 miles of federal land. Appalachian Power began clearing rights of way for the project in late 2003, and started construction in April 2004. The last of 333 towers was erected in October 2005 and the line was energized in June 2006.
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