AEP Ohio, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, has submitted a stipulation to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) for approval of its latest plan aimed at enhancing power grid reliability and reducing outages. The proposal involves the installation or upgrade of distribution automation circuit reconfiguration (DACR) technologies on up to 412 circuits within AEP Ohio’s 61-county service area.
Previously, AEP Ohio implemented DACR technology that successfully prevented 41 million minutes of customer interruptions. This technology detects power outages and automatically reroutes electricity within minutes, thereby minimizing the number of affected customers. It also aids repair crews in identifying faults more efficiently, leading to quicker restoration times.
The stipulation has been agreed upon by several parties including AEP Ohio, PUCO staff, the Ohio Energy Group (OEG), the Ohio Energy Leadership Committee (OELC), and the Ohio Manufacturers Association Energy Group (OMEAG).
“AEP Ohio is continually focused on making our electric grid more resilient and reliable throughout our service territory for each and every customer,” stated Marc Reitter, president and chief operating officer of AEP Ohio. “Our efforts include traditional solutions like trimming trees as well as advanced technology that helps automate the power grid. We have seen improved power service across our territory thanks to these advanced automation technologies, which is why we are asking the PUCO to let us continue building on those successes. This investment would more than double the number of automation technology installations on our system.”
This initiative is part of AEP Ohio’s gridSMART program which leverages advanced technology to minimize both the frequency and duration of power outages. The plan builds upon previous efforts under this program, including a pilot phase with DACR technology installed on 70 circuits and Phase 2 with installations on 255 circuits.
In this phase, AEP Ohio intends to deploy DACR technologies on 333 circuits without existing equipment and enhance systems on an additional 79 circuits already equipped with some level of DACR technology. If approved by PUCO, these installations will occur over six years.
The proposed investment amounts to approximately $350 million. Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month could see an estimated increase in their monthly bill by 22 cents if the proposal receives approval.
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