ROANOKE, Va., October 20, 2004 – Appalachian Power announces a change in hours of operation for its Smith Mountain Visitors’ Center.  October 26 through April 2 the Visitors’ Center will be open Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The facility’s hours of operation typically increase in the spring and summer.
 
Annually nearly 35,000 people learn about the Smith Mountain Pumped Storage Project by visiting the Smith Mountain Visitors’ Center at the dam. Hands-on exhibits and activities explain how the project was built, how it produces power and how the project enhances the area.
 
Appalachian Power operates its Smith Mountain Pumped Storage Project under a Federal Energy Regulator Commission license. The company uses a maximum of two feet of water from Smith Mountain Lake to generate electricity. This water is captured in Leesville Lake and is pumped back to Smith Mountain for future generation.
 
Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.  It is a unit of American Electric Power, the nation’s largest electricity generator.  AEP owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity and is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states.