American Electric Power ( AEP ) is the main electricity utility owned by investors in the United States, sending electricity to more than five million customers in 11 states.
AEP is among the largest power plants in the country, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the US. AEP also has the largest electrical transmission system in the country, a network of nearly 39,000 miles (63,000 km) that includes 765 kilovolts of ultra-high voltage. transmission lines, more than all other US transmission systems combined. The AEP transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, an interconnected transmission system covering the eastern and central eastern states of the USA and Canada, and about 11 percent of the electricity demand in the Texas Power Reliability Board, a transmission system that covers most of Texas.
The AEP utility unit operates as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Oklahoma Public Service Company, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and eastern Texas ). ). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
American Electric Power was the first utility to utilize the 345 kV transmission line that occurred in 1953.
Video American Electric Power
Subsidiaries
The company is divided into seven major geographical local operating companies:
AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio serves 1.5 million customers in central, southern and northwest Ohio. Over the years, it consists of two operating companies, Ohio Power and Columbus Southern Power. However, in 2014, Columbus Southern merged into Ohio Power, leaving Ohio Power as a legal operating company for regulatory purposes.
AEP Texas
AEP Texas was formed from the incorporation of its predecessor utilities, and joined AEP as part of the acquisition of Central and South West Corporation in 1997. It consists of AEP Texas North Company (formerly West Texas Utilities), which operates in west Texas, and AEP Texas Central Company (formerly Central Power and Light), which operates in southern Texas.
Appalachian Power
Appalachian Power (APCO) is based in Charleston, West Virginia and has the naming rights for Appalachian Power Park in Charleston. APCO serves about one million subscribers in the center and Southern West Virginia, Southwest Virginia and parts of Northeast Tennessee, particularly Kingsport. Cities in the Appalachian Power service area include Wheeling, Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia; Roanoke, Virginia, and Kingsport.
Until the 21st century, AEP's operations in Tennessee are part of a separate operating company, Kingsport Power Company. However, since the turn of the millennium, Kingsport Power's operations have almost completely joined forces with Appalachian, and AEP considers Appalachian Power to be an operating company in the Kingsport area. While Kingsport Power still exists legally, the name Kingsport Power is almost never used again except for the formality of the arrangement.
Wheeling Power, based in Wheeling, West Virginia, has long been treated as a de facto part of Ohio Power, but is now treated as part of Appalachian Power.
Indiana Michigan Power
Indiana Michigan Power (I & M) serves northeastern and eastern Indiana, including Muncie and Fort Wayne; and parts of northern central Indiana and southwest Michigan, including South Bend, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, and Three Rivers. Donald C. Cook nuclear power plant is located in the I & amp; M.
Kentucky Power
Kentucky Power serves most of East Kentucky, an area adjacent to the Appalachian Power service area, including the communities of Pikeville, Hazard, and Ashland. The Kentucky Power base is in Ashland and they maintain a government relations office in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Oklahoma Public Service Company (PSO)
PSO was one of four CSW operations firms when CSW joined AEP. Founded in 1913, PSO serves approximately 540,000 customers in east and southwest Oklahoma. Its headquarters are in Tulsa. PSO has 4,269 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 232 towns and cities across the service area covering 30,000 square miles.
In April 2014, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed a bill supported by AEP that would add taxes to anyone in the state that adopted the solar roof. This anti-solar law is headed by Rep. Mike Turner (Oklahoma politician) (R. Edmond), is known for his support to end the solar roof and the laws he introduced to end all marriages in the state. After partnering with AEP to pass the law, Rep. Turner had a failed federal congress race.
Southwest Power Power Company
Often called SWEPCO, Southwest Power Companies serves mostly western Arkansas, northwest Louisiana, and northeastern Texas. Like the PSO, it is one of the four CSW Operating Companies.
Between 2013 and 2014, AEP, under the SWEPCO subsidiary, tries to eliminate the basic solar policies, net measurements, at LPSC several times, and fails at any time. SWEPCO is also openly supported by anti-solar candidate Eric Skrmetta, who has been heavily criticized for receiving 2/3 of his campaign donations from the entities he arranges.
In Arkansas, SWEPCO is expected by 2015 to require regulators to enable them to continue the cost of building and running the John W. Turk Jr. Coal Plant, the most expensive project in state history, to Arkansas ratepayers. This process is expected to cause controversy similar to what has plagued plants since construction.
Other subsidiaries
AEP also buys most of Cheshire, Ohio, where Gavin Power Plant is located, due to pollution problems. In 2004, AEP announced their plans to build one or more combined combined steam power plants (IGCC) that are expected to reduce emissions while providing additional power capacity to customers served by AEP.
The company also operates its own ground barge, AEP River Operations (formerly MEMCO Barge Line), and has a major land tract throughout its service area.
In August 2008, AEP has established a joint venture with Duke Energy to build and own new electrical transmission assets.
It is the largest shareholder in Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC). OVEC is an associate of AEP, not a subsidiary, because AEP has less than half of it.
Maps American Electric Power
Nuclear
AEP owns and operates the Donald C. Cook nuclear power plant. It accounts for 6% of the generation portfolio.
Hybrid technology
AEP is expanding its green efforts to include 18 DuraStar international hybrid diesel trucks. AEP is also working with Ford for the integration of Vehicle-to-Electrical network communications systems, allowing hybrid vehicles to communicate with the power company to determine where, how long, and how much it will cost to recharge hybrids during the trip.
Solar and wind energy
AEP recently signed an agreement with Wyandot Solar LLC to purchase electricity from one of the largest solar fields in the eastern United States, based in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.
AEP owns and operates Desert Sky Wind Farm and Trent Wind Farm.
In 2009, AEP partnered with other energy companies in research on how to deliver wind energy generated in the Upper Midwest to consumers in the East.
AEP currently gets 0.02% of its energy from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. They plan to increase their dependence on coal in the next five years. They sometimes support renewable energy in their utility area, but only when they can have it through regulated assets.
PATH Proposals
In 2007, AEP teamed up with Allegheny Energy to propose US $ 1.8 billion (changed to US $ 2.1 billion in 2011) Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH), transmission line 2905 kilometers (470 km), 765 kilovolt that will run through West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. According to Joe Denault, a volunteer spokesperson for the proposal, PATH's proposal will incorporate new technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 380,000 short tons (340,000 t) per year; allows for the transmission of renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric; and generating 5,700 jobs, with $ 420 million in employee compensation annually. However, many of these disputed claims and proposals must pass through some legal hurdles before moving forward. On August 24, 2012, the Interconnection PJM officially moved the PATH project from a long-term expansion plan, citing slow economic reasons for reducing the projected growth in electricity usage.
History
The American Gas and Electric Company , which will be renamed American Electric Power in 1958, was founded in 1906. It replaces the Electric Company of America, the parent company that has existed since 1899. It built "the first planted in the world to reheat steam to perform double duty in the process of generating electricity "in Philo, Ohio in 1923. Some of its holdings were divested after the passage of the Public Utilities Utility Act in 1935; This ownership will include Atlantic City Electric (now an Exelon subsidiary) and Scranton Electric (due to being absorbed by PPL). However, it retains its Central System, which runs between Michigan and Virginia. It moved its headquarters from New York City to Columbus, Ohio in the 1980s. On May 1, 1999, the North American power industry tested and cleaned 75 percent of the US electricity system to comply with Year 2000 computer errors. On August 31, 2004, American Electric Power Company $ 10 billion acquisition of Central and South West Company was approved.
Acquisitions
- 1922 Indiana and Michigan Electric
- 1924 American Electric Power Company, Philadelphia holding company
- 1925 Appalachian Electric Company
- 1948 Indiana Service Corporation from Fort Wayne
- 1980 Columbus and the Southern Ohio Electric Company
- 1997 Central and South West Corporation (completed in 2000)
Ownership
In 2017, American Electric Power shares were mainly held by institutional investors (Vanguard Group, BlackRock, State Street Corporation, and others)
Environmental recordings
The Institute for Political Economy Research puts the 45th American Electric Power among companies emitting air pollutants in the United States. The ratings are based on quantity (Â £ 91 million (41,000 t) in 2005) and emissions toxicity. Main contaminants include sulfuric acid and chloride, and chromium, manganese and nickel compounds. Overall, power plants, such as those operated by AEP, account for nearly 70 percent of annual sulfur dioxide emissions and 30 percent of nitrous oxide emissions. Individually, these pollutants cause serious respiratory damage and other diseases; when combined, they create what is known as acid rain, which causes long-term damage to the environment and damage to natural and man-made structures. The Environmental Protection Agency has appointed American Electric as responsible party at Green River Disposal Inc. Superfund toxic waste sites.
In February 2018, AEP announced plans to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 through increased use of renewable energy, natural gas and energy efficiency.
Justice Department lawsuit
The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on 3 November 1999 against AEP and six other companies for violating the Clean Air Act. On October 8, 2007, AEP agreed to install equipment worth US $ 4.6 billion to reduce emissions, as well as pay civil penalties worth US $ 15 million and provide US $ 36 million for environmental projects and $ 24 million for environmental mitigation. The company will cut 813,000 short tons (738,000 t) of air pollutants each year after all controls are installed. According to a press release, the agreement imposes restrictions on pollutant emissions from 16 plants located in five states. The facility is located in Moundsville (two facilities), St. Albans, Glasgow, and New Haven (two facilities), West Virginia; Louisa, Kentucky; Glen Lyn and Carbo, Virginia; Brilliant, Conesville, Cheshire, Lockbourne, and Beverly, Ohio; and Rockport and Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Trying to Stop the Solar Energy
AEP has come under fire in many countries where they operate to attack the solar roof. They have been specifically trying to stop the spread of the sun in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Political influence
AEP's political action committee, the American Electrical Power Committee for Responsible Governance, has increased spending since the 1998 election cycle, reaching $ 1.4 million in contributions in 2007-2008, 57 percent for the Republicans. Also in 2008, American Electric Power significantly increased lobbying spending from less than $ 2 million a year to more than $ 11 million, as climate legislation became a major issue in Washington. As of December 2011, the cost of lobbying remained between $ 6 million and $ 10 million per year.
In 2009, AEP CEO Michael G. Morris donated $ 100,000 to Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future, which supports increased oil drilling and opposes mandatory limits on greenhouse gas pollution. American Electric Power is also a member of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a lobby and marketing organization that opposes Obama's climate and clean energy laws.
Paul Loeffelman, AEP's public environmental policy director, served as co-chair of the ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture task force, which in 2012 adopted a model legislation entitled "Electricity Freedom Act", designed to revoke state-mandate mandates. utilities to generate some of their electricity from renewable sources. In 2013, ALEC-affiliated legislators introduced bills in 13 states designed to weaken or revoke renewable energy mandates. No bills are legalized in 2013.
References
External links
- American Electric Power
- Company History
- AEP River Operations
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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