AEP Ohio Asks to Expand Use of Grid Automation Technology to Prevent Outages

GAHANNA, Ohio (August 6, 2024) - AEP Ohio, an American Electric Power company (Nasdaq: AEP), has asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to approve its latest plan for improving power grid reliability and resiliency. The plan includes installing or upgrading distribution automation circuit reconfiguration (DACR) technologies on up to 412 circuits throughout our 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, minimizing the number of people impacted within minutes. Crews are also able to pinpoint what needs repaired to restore power.

"AEP Ohio is continually focused on improving reliability 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 to utilizing advanced technology to automate the power grid. We have asked the PUCO to let us continue building on our successes with grid automation technology that can route power around problems to keep power flowing to as many customers as possible. This proposal would more than double the number of DACR installations on our system."

This latest proposal is part of AEP Ohio's gridSMART program. Previous gridSMART efforts have included the installation of advanced meters, technology that makes the grid more efficient and DACR technology. This phase will focus only on installing over the next six years DACR technologies on 333 circuits without any previously installed DACR equipment and additional DACR technologies on 79 circuits that are already equipped with some level of DACR technology.

AEP Ohio plans to invest approximately $350 million over six years under this plan. If approved as filed, the proposal is estimated to cost a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month 22 cents.

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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.

At American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, we understand that our customers and communities depend on safe, reliable and affordable power. Our nearly 16,000 employees operate and maintain more than 40,000 miles of transmission lines, the nation's largest electric transmission system, and more than 225,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver power 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, including nearly 6,000 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP is investing $43 billion over the next five years to make the electric grid cleaner and more reliable. We are on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and have a goal to achieve net zero by 2045. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement and inclusion. AEP's family of companies includes utilities 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. For more information, visit aep.com.