ROANOKE, Va., September 2, 2014 – Thousands of Appalachian Power customers in Grayson County will experience a power outage on Sunday, September 14 that could last as long as 12 hours. The outage will allow line crews to perform repairs and upgrade critical equipment.

The outage will begin around 6 a.m. Some Appalachian customers will lose service for approximately six hours. Others could lose power for up to 12 hours. Approximately 4,500 customers in the following areas will be affected by the outage: the towns of Fries and Independence and surrounding areas, and communities of Carsonville, Spring Valley, Elk Creek and Comers Rock. Customers in these communities should make arrangements and prepare for any personal, medical or other needs that might occur during that time.

Mike Wilson, a distribution systems manager with Appalachian Power, says the outage will allow crews to safely replace five transmission structures and upgrade or repair equipment at a substation.

“We understand the inconvenience to customers, but the work we’re doing is necessary to improve the long-term reliability of our service, Wilson said. “It is why we want to let our customers know well in advance of the outage, let them prepare, and thank them for their patience.”

Appalachian Power customers were notified of the pending outage in August via a recorded phone message. A second call will go out to customers a few days in advance of the outage as a reminder.

Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, which delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.

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