AEP's $4 Billion in Transmission Projects Target Permian, Other High-Growth U.S. Areas

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP) (AEP) (Columbus, Ohio) is planning to spend about $25 billion on transmission-line projects across the U.S. over the next four years, much of it concentrated in high-growth areas that are seeing heavy developments from the Oil & Gas Industry. Industrial Info is tracking more than $4 billion in active projects from AEP, including more than $1.5 billion worth that are nearing or under construction.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing the top 10 U.S. states for AEP projects, by investment value.

Texas leads all other states in AEP-related investment--which is no surprise, given the rapid buildout of energy-related projects in the Permian Basin and the Gulf Coast. The Permian is home to the Far West Texas Project, a venture from AEP and Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Dallas, Texas) that is designed to support the area's massive load growth, and the Maverick County Transmission Project, which would provide relief to a congested area.

The Far West Texas Project includes a 52-mile line from Fort Stockton to Pecos, while the Maverick project includes a 42-mile line from Brackettville to Escondido. Both projects are in their planning phases and would not begin construction until the end of 2020, at the earliest. For more information, see Industrial Info's reports on the Far West Texas and Escondido projects.

Along the Texas Gulf Coast, AEP is seeking permits for its Three Rivers-Tuleta transmission line, which would comprise two segments: a 28-mile line from near Three Rivers to Beeville, and a 43-mile line from Beeville to Tuleta. In April, AEP filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas that said the existing transmission system would not be able to reliably serve that area if a significant part of it is removed from service for scheduled maintenance or for any other kind of outage. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the lines originating in Three Rivers and Beeville.

AEP also is performing rebuilds and upgrades in other parts of the country that are experiencing load growth:

• Indiana Michigan Power Company, a subsidiary, is proposing to rebuild about 10 miles of line from Yorktown to Anderson, Indiana, including the replacement of aging wood poles with steel monopoles; see project report
• AEP Ohio is preparing to begin a rebuild early next year of more than 29 miles of line from Lima to Scott, Ohio; see project report
• AEP Appalachian Power Company is preparing to begin a rebuild later this summer of about 18 miles of line from Cedar Grove to Clendenin, West Virginia, which is more than 40 years old; see project report

"Our [transmission] business continues to grow, as we make critical investments to replace aging equipment and ensure that we maintain a robust, resilient grid," said Nicholas Akins, the chief executive officer of AEP, in a quarterly earnings-related press release. He also acknowledged that AEP is "seeing lower demand across all customer classes, primarily due to trade tariffs and the strong U.S. dollar."

For more information on AEP's planned $33 billion of capital expenditures over the 2019-2023 period, see May 28, 2019, article - AEP Sets $33 Billion Capex for 2019-2023.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com/.