|
Appalachian Power announced Tuesday a $15 million upgrade in the electric infrastructure that serves parts of Montgomery County, the Town of Blacksburg and the Town of Christiansburg. The company is in the initial study phase of the project which involves construction of approximately eight miles of electric transmission line and is seeking public input into the siting process before pursuing approval to construct the new line.
Electric service in the area is primarily supplied by a single radial 138 kilovolt (kV) line and multiple 69 kV lines. Peak electric demand in the area has increased from 207 megawatts (MW) in 2003 to 250 MW in 2008 and is expected to continue to grow steadily. The addition of a new power line that ties together three existing electric substations and establishes a looped 138 kV system, helps prevent overloads and reduces the likelihood of interrupting electric service to the region. With a looped system in place, the outages can be isolated when they occur and alternate paths will keep customers’ electric service intact. The new facilities will be constructed on single pole structures with an average height of 100 feet tall and be built on a 100 foot-wide right of way. The company has identified preliminary proposed corridors for review. The public can provide comments on the preliminary study corridors and suggest alternative routing options at AppalachianPower.com and at a public workshop 5-8 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at Christiansburg High School, 100 Independence Blvd., Christiansburg, Va., 24073. The public comment period continues through July 18. “We’ve identified all of the routes that we think would work,” said Shawn Smith, project manager. “But, constructive public participation is critical to identifying the best place to locate this new line.” Appalachian will file an application with the Virginia State Corporation Commission in September seeking approval to construct the new facilities. The project is planned to be in service by 2014.
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Charlie "Bird" Parker was an American saxophonist and composer. As a young man, he moved to NYC to pursue a career in music. There, Parker met and played with a group of young musicians in Harlem clubs. In 1945, Parker and Dizzy Gillespie made the first bop (or bebop) records, becoming leaders of the bop movement in jazz. Parker's brilliant improvisations, noted for their power and beauty, soon earned the admiration of countless musicians. At what age did Parker begin playing the saxophone?
