GAHANNA, Ohio, January 6, 2025 — AEP Ohio, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, today filed a stipulation with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to approve its latest plan for improving power grid reliability and resiliency, and for preventing or shortening outages.
The plan includes installing or upgrading distribution automation circuit reconfiguration (DACR) technologies on up to 412 circuits throughout AEP Ohio’s 61-county service territory. AEP Ohio has previously installed DACR technology that has prevented 41 million minutes of customer interruptions.
DACR uses technology that detects a power outage and automatically reroutes the power within minutes, minimizing the number of people affected. Crews are also able to pinpoint what needs to be repaired to restore power, reducing time spent diagnosing an outage’s cause and leading to faster power restoration than without the technology.
The stipulation filed today was agreed to by AEP Ohio, the PUCO’s staff, 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,” said Marc Reitter, AEP Ohio president and chief operating officer. “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 proposal is part of AEP Ohio’s gridSMART program, which utilizes advanced technology to reduce the number and duration of power outages. The plan builds on previous gridSMART DACR efforts, including a gridSMART Pilot Program, which included DACR technology installed on 70 circuits, and gridSMART Phase 2, which included DACR technology installed on 255 circuits. Those investments across AEP Ohio’s service territory have led to more reliable electric service with fewer outages for customers than they would have experienced without the technology.
During this phase, AEP Ohio plans to install DACR technologies on 333 circuits without any previously installed DACR equipment and enhance DACR technologies on 79 circuits already equipped with some level of the technology. Installations will take place over the next six years if approved by the PUCO.
AEP Ohio plans to invest approximately $350 million total under this plan. If approved, the proposal is estimated to cost a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month 22 cents per month.
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About AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.
Our team at American Electric Power is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We are investing $54 billion from 2025 through 2029 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 16,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electric transmission system with 40,000 line miles, along with more than 225,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 29,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.