AEP Retirees & Alumni

Shown above: Some of the AEP-donated equipment.

(Story by Linda O’horo)

Instead of being auctioned off, some used construction equipment has been donated by AEP — to a place where it will be used to help veterans and others with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

A new facility, to be built on a farm in central Ohio, will enable veterans with PTSD and rescued horses to work together to heal.

The equipment donated by AEP will be used to first build an arena for equine therapy, followed by greenhouses and a retention pond.

Watch a video on the project.

This facility — where veterans can learn about potential careers in greenhouse farming and aquaculture — will be operated by True North Veteran Support, a nonprofit foundation created by Susan and Bill Barr, who live on the farm.

The Barrs told Ruth Robinson about their plans. Robinson, who retired from AEP in 2017 as manager of Generation Contracts, set up a meeting with Susan and Scott Smith, AEP Transmission senior vice president of Transmission Field Services & Controls.

After discussing construction needs, Smith contacted Diana Weaver, managing director of Supply Chain and Fleet Operations. They were very happy to assist in this effort.

AEP found and donated eight pieces of heavy construction equipment, which had been used in the Ohio and Indiana Michigan Power regions: a forklift, skid steer, two dump trucks, and four trailers.

True North Veteran Support recently held a groundbreaking event to kick-off the arena construction project.

Some veterans who were there were excited about the possibilities for this new program.

Joe Machado, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, said “what this facility is, is another step in the direction of dealing with the veterans who come back with needs that aren’t being handled by the official sources — the VA doesn’t have anything like this.”

Ohio VFW commander David Root said that when veterans return and experience PTSD, “the slightest little thing will kick back memories that they don’t know are there, and suddenly they are re-living things that they don’t want to. And sometimes they can get through it on their own. But other times they can’t. Those who are around them know what to do to help them get around it.”

Robert Barr, who earned his Purple Heart in Korea, said, “These people will be around a gentle animal like a horse, and it will calm them down and help tremendously. I think this is going to help save a lot of veterans’ lives.”

As part of the project, Indiana Michigan Power Company workers planted 10 berry-producing trees to benefit wildlife near the right-of-way.

(Story by Linda O’horo)

Recently, Indiana Michigan Power Company (I&M) and AEP collaborated with the City of Fort Wayne on the Spy Run Extension project, which restored and enhanced a transmission right-of-way area that passes through a city park and along a greenway trail.

This was the final piece of the massive Powering Up Central project, one of five Powering Up Indiana projects to replace aging transmission infrastructure and improve reliability for customers.

Watch a video about the project.

During these projects, AEP entities collaborated with city and community officials and communicated frequently with area residents.

And for the Spy Run Extension Project, post-construction site restoration involved special efforts to enhance sustainability and beauty during restoration work in a 6.5 mile long transmission line right-of-way area.

I&M and the City of Fort Wayne worked together to create environmentally-balanced habitats which provide beauty in a right-of-way area that runs through a public parkway. Benefits from the new project include:

• Replacing old towers and lines with new, modern transmission towers and lines, which are less visible on the horizon.
• Removing invasive trees in the right-of-way area, providing better views of the adjacent St. Joseph River.
• Planting 10 berry-producing trees to benefit wildlife.
• Planting native plant seeds in one section of the right-of-way to provide animal habitat, while restricting the establishment of invasive trees.
• Adding two park benches and a bike repair station on the pathway.

The Spy Run-Greenway area project is just one example of how AEP, AEP Transmission, and AEP operating companies work with others to improve electric system reliability for customers while benefitting the surrounding community in additional ways.

AEP CEO Nick Akins discusses AEP’s third quarter financial results on CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” program.

Nick Akins, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer, appeared on CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” program October 31 and discussed AEP’s strong financial performance in the third quarter of 2018, a “tempering” of the economy in the company’s service territory, the plight of coal in the country and more with the show’s host, stock analyst Jim Cramer.

View the video.

Concerning AEP’s third quarter results, Akins said, “We did have a great third quarter. The weather obviously drove a lot of it, but the 8.1 percent dividend increase was very good for our investors and it really showed the confidence our board has in our business plan going forward. We’re seeing a 5-to-7 percent growth rate for the foreseeable future and we expect dividends to be commensurate with that growth. We have a solid financial plan, a solid company focused on capital deployment, particularly in transmission, and in other areas, and it shows that our business plan going forward is very positive.”

Cramer noted that AEP’s industrial, commercial and residential sectors had all been improving over the last several quarters, but that was not the case in the third quarter.

“We have seen some tempering of the economy, particularly when it’s non oil and gas related,” Akins explained. “Oil and gas is still doing fine, industrials grew by 2.4 percent but we saw residential and commercial growth come down a little bit. We think it’s really driven by a strong dollar, and some of the tariffs are having an impact on non-oil-and-gas-related activities. We’re seeing some level of tempering, so we’re watching that very closely as we go forward.”

Cramer then asked if President Trump called him and told him to use more coal, would Akins be able to explain to him that it’s a very complex issue?

“Yeah, I think I would,” Akins answered. “It’s much more complex than that and we’re trying to do things to develop those coal-related territories like our Appalachian Sky initiative that focuses on industrial activities. We’re trying to get industrials to locate in those particular areas to provide options going forward, but coal-fired generation continues to fall in this country. Exports of coal, particularly metallurgical coal, continue to have an impact and we want to see that continue to progress, but I think it’s going to be tempered in its approach relative to coal-fired generation, so we have to really think about what that means to the economies in those regions of the country.”

Turning to natural gas and renewables, Akins told Cramer that, “I think you are seeing a much broader view of resources going forward. Certainly renewables are coming into play, and natural gas is being looked at as a backup source for renewables. We view transmission as a resource to bring renewables to market and to be able to optimize the entire grid from a resource perspective. We’re also seeing energy efficiencies and “smart” analytics in place relative to the system that enables us to not build that next central station generation facility. You can expect that to continue into the future.”

Cramer also noted that while other companies have made big bets on large generation projects, AEP for the most part has avoided those types of investments.

“We have thousands of smaller projects and we can have more control over these types of projects and adjust to what we’re seeing financially,” Akins said. “It really gives us an opportunity to focus on the ins and outs of those kinds of projects that accumulate to steady earnings and dividend quality for our shareholders.”

Jeff Nelson (left), AEP Transmission Protection & Control electrician, receives the AEP Hero Award from Daryll Jackson, Protection & Control supervisor.

(Story by Sara Hebert)

AEP Transmission P&C Electrician Jeff Nelson recently received the AEP Hero Award for his efforts in preventing a potentially fatal accident while a city crew in Shreveport, Louisiana, was working to replace a sewer line.

“I was down here (in the substation) taking notes on a breaker that we’re going to change,” Nelson recounted. “I was inside and I heard the boom and the arc flash. It scared me and I came out of the breaker — and I could see a woman looking down that way. I could see the smoke. I heard the breaker trip, then close back. I ran down to the corner of the fence, and I just saw the arc and fire coming off the track hoe.”

Nelson called Distribution Dispatch and quickly discovered that Distribution did not have SCADA control; so, he tripped the breaker. That was the first time that he noticed the people standing nearby and that the track hoe operator had remained in his seat until the arc flash went out.

“They were standing right beside it. It was all around them. At least six or seven people were out there when it was burning,” Nelson recalled. “When you’re in a substation and you hear a ball of fire like that, you’re getting the hell out of the way.”

Daryll Jackson, Protection & Control supervisor, nominated Nelson and made the AEP Hero Award presentation.

“I really appreciated what he’s done,” said Jackson. “A lot of people would have just went on about their job, and said, ‘That’s got nothing to do with me.’ But Jeff took the initiative to look around and see what was going on. It easily could have been a bad situation.”

Appalachian Power Company External Affairs Manager Ronn Robinson participated in the community announcement. Pineville was chosen for its strong community and government engagement along with economic development and tourism potential.

(Story by Ali Barrett)

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The town of Pineville, West Virginia, has been selected for the AEP Foundation-funded community branding initiative.

The American Electric Power Foundation awarded West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media a $250,000 grant in January to support BrandJRNY, a community branding initiative started by the college in 2015. The initiative sets out to help West Virginia communities identify and promote their assets and potential for improving tourism, encouraging economic development and increasing pride. The grant from the AEP Foundation will allow BrandJRNY to continue for two more years.

Located in Wyoming County, Pineville was chosen for its strong community and government engagement along with its economic development and tourism potential. The town offers beautiful views such as the Guyandotte River and the sandstone marvel known as Castle Rock. ATV riders can find the Pinnacle Creek Trailhead, which is a part of the 630-mile all-terrain vehicle Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, in Pineville, as well.

WVU students are currently conducting research including community roundtables, focus groups, surveys and interviews to gain insight into community members’ perceptions of Pineville and their hopes for the town’s future.

Students will create storytelling pieces that include photos and video; social and digital strategies to increase awareness; a media strategy to promote tourism and a branding campaign plan and toolkit. At the end of the project, Pineville will have a new authentic brand identity. After additional trainings and workshops in the spring, community leaders will be able to use the plan and pieces to manage the new brand that not only appeals to target audiences but also resonates with the community.

News that Pineville had been selected for the initiative was announced at a community kick-off event on Sept. 13 at the Wyoming County Courthouse. Appalachian Power’s Ronn Robinson, external affairs manager, Jeri Matheney, director of communications, and Tim Ellison, business services account manager and long-time mayor of the town, attended the event, along with students, government officials, members of the Pineville branding committee and Pineville community members. A community workshop followed.

To stay up to date on the students’ journey, follow BrandJRNY on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @brandjrny and by using the hashtag #BrandPineville. For more information about past and current branding projects, see their Instagram page.

The grassy area in the foreground of this photo is a site for AEP’s right-of-way vegetation management research. Behind it, you can see the original New Albany Transmission Headquarters, with the second office building under construction.

(Story by Linda O’horo)

Utility companies are increasingly evaluating the substitution of regionally appropriate, native plants for construction site restoration to promote sustainability and lower operations and maintenance expenses. Increasingly, AEP has been researching and implementing vegetation projects at a number of sites across its footprint.

As part of AEP’s ongoing vegetation management research, Right-of-Way Vegetation Management demonstration plots are being created near the AEP Transmission Headquarters buildings in New Albany, Ohio. Eventually, the demonstration plot area will be open to the public.

“Research indicates that the substitution of appropriate native plants in right-of-way areas can inhibit the invasiveness of trees and other vegetation which eventually increases vegetation management work to ensure reliability,” saidTim Lohner, Ph.D., consulting environmental specialist, AEP Water and Ecology Services.

“Native plants tend to establish stable, ‘competitive’ covers with deeper roots, which help prevent the establishment of trees and other ‘problem’ vegetation. There is also better erosion control. In addition, we can select native seed mixes which attract and support the habitats of insect pollinators, birds and other wildlife.”

Although there may be a bit more initial work related to use of native plants, less maintenance is required over time resulting in substantial cost savings and reduced reliability risks from overgrown vegetation getting into power lines and equipment.

“We are excited that we will have the opportunity to provide this site where we can test various seed mixes for construction site restoration. There we can provide an easily-accessible and educational demonstration for AEP employees, contractors and the public about native plants and AEP’s related sustainability efforts,” said Lisa Barton, executive vice president, AEP Transmission.

Temporary vegetation planted this fall will be replaced with a final seed in the spring. Seed mixes designed for use at solar facilities may also be tested.

AEP Environmental Services is recommending that simple, regionally appropriate, native seed mixes be used, when possible, after construction at landfill, pond closure and solar project sites.