HUNTINGTON – A few recent Letters to the Editor in the Huntington newspaper have complained about Appalachian Power and American Electric Power (AEP), the public utility that supplies electricity to our homes and businesses across West Virginia and throughout the Tri-State region.
While I understand the frustration with higher electricity rates and the recent loss of electricity from the ice storm earlier this year, bashing AEP does little to lower electricity rates, improve service or explain the nature of their responsibility to electrify our communities.
As the recent letter writers pointed out, we should be thankful for the hard work of out-of-state crews as well as the many West Virginians who worked diligently to reattach lines and return electricity service as quickly as possible. The crew that returned service to our house was from South Bend, Indiana, and were professional and work tirelessly in less-than-ideal conditions.
Bissett
The magnitude of this influx of workers to fix the grid was massive, as parts of the Huntington Mall parking lot were taken over by temporary barracks for the many out of state workers.
This kind of extraordinary emergency response costs a tremendous amount of money, which is by far the largest reason for the request of cost recovery. The last time a request of this nature was made by AEP was after the terrible Derecho and Superstorm Sandy of 2012.
One of the best things about West Virginia is our mountains and trees, especially this time of year, but it makes it a challenge to move electricity from one place to another. AEP does clear trees within their right of ways but are unable to do so outside those areas.
Simply put, the natural beauty of our state left residents without power longer, the restoration costs were then more expensive, and required more inventive solutions from the workers. And these challenges were only made worse when the second round of ice storms occurred, increasing the difficulty due to additional downed trees and powerlines.
As someone who has worked throughout his career in energy issues and electricity generation, I understand that our opinion on these issues often comes down to what we pay for our monthly electric bill. It is important to remember that Appalachian Power is in the business of supplying electricity, so it is in their best interest to keep the electricity on and, when necessary, restore it as quickly as possible.
As our state has seen a reduction in manufacturing over the decades and a downturn in the production and use of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, the demand for electricity in West Virginia has decreased, which has a direct effect on what we pay for electricity.
I’ve also seen throughout my career that Appalachian Power and AEP are a constant and supportive partner in multiple economic development efforts across West Virginia. A perfect example of this partnership has been their support of the aerospace developments in West Virginia and their partnership with RCBI Aero at Marshall University.
AEP’s support of economic research and the support of the AEP Foundation have contributed greatly to Marshall’s upcoming launch of the Bill Noe Flight School at Yeager Airport and the Aviation Maintenance and Technology program at Huntington Tri-State Airport. And it makes sense that AEP would support these economic development efforts, which are designed to bring people and employers to the Mountain State.
Whether it’s the bill for your home or the monthly expense of electricity that a business has to bear, I understand that no one wants to pay more, and, in some cases, we see this cost as a fixed cost and fail to understand that the responsibility to electrify our neighborhoods in the 21st Century takes commitment, ingenuity and a lot of work, especially when the worst ice storm in recent memory strikes.
While Appalachian Power will have to go before the West Virginia Public Service Commission to request their cost recovery, let’s look at their total contribution to their service area and the enormous responsibility they have to provide us with the driver of modern society – Electricity.
Bissett is president & CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce.