The 90-mile line would run from Wyoming County, W.Va., through Tazewell, Bland and Pulaski counties to Jacksons Ferry in Wythe County. That line would have run from Wyoming, W.Va., through the New River Valley to Cloverdale, just north of Roanoke. Last year, the SCC asked AEP to study the Jacksons Ferry route because staff believed the line would meet the company's need to reinforce its transmission system and improve its ability to supply increased amounts of electricity stemming from future growth in the region. AEP filed its report with the SCC two weeks ago. In affidavits filed with the staff's motion, consultants hired by the SCC said the new line offers the same transmission capacity as the original line but with a shorter route, lower costs and a reduced environmental impact.
Communities affected by the new route oppose the project.
He speculated AEP eventually would have to build a line from Jacksons Ferry to Cloverdale. The supervisors passed a resolution Jan. 5 that opposed routing the line through that county. The board noted that it has already given up some 1,800 acres of private land to other AEP lines, including another 765,000-volt line. Burns said AEP is not considering any secondary projects at this time. We fully expect the Wyoming to Jacksons erry will be looked at further as well as the Wyoming to Cloverdale line.