Bill Fehrman, AEP president and CEO, recently joined Indiana Michigan Power leaders Steve Baker, president and chief operating officer, and Jennifer Ellis, vice president of Distribution Region Operations, for a tour of Rockport Plant and Cook Coal Terminal (CCT). The leaders met with employees and toured both facilities, seeing firsthand the critical work they do to ensure safe and reliable power flows to customers around the clock. CCT, on the Ohio River, is a vital link to powering I&M customers’ lives and the communities. Employees there transfer coal from rail cars to river barges for delivery to the Rockport Plant.
Fehrman, Baker and Ellis first visited the railcar repair operations. Then they took a short trip on a river vessel moving coal barges before visiting the control room to view the “dumper,” a large machine that dumps cargo from rail cars.
At Rockport Coal Plant, also along the Ohio River, Fehrman told employees that looking back on his career, his “favorite favorite” job was running a coal plant. He praised the work ethic and ingenuity of Rockport’s employees. He also was impressed by Plant Manager Rob Beller’s aggressive maintenance work plan to keep operations safe and efficient.
“We fully support doing everything the right way, which is the safe way,” Fehrman said.
It’s an exciting time for Rockport. Through a grant funding partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), I&M is seeking $50 million to begin the early stages of SMR development at the Rockport Plant site.
CCT and Rockport are both tremendous assets, supported by great workforces, and positioned for opportunities in the future.
“We’re only limited by our ability to execute,” Fehrman said.