Restoring power after severe weather in Big Rock, Virginia, can be especially challenging for Appalachian Power Company (APCo) crews.

Tucked into the rugged mountains of southwest Virginia, Big Rock is served by power lines that cross heavily forested terrain in some of the region’s most remote locations. Limited road access often requires crews to use specialized equipment and conduct helicopter inspections to assess damage and safely plan repairs. Maintaining these lines requires ongoing vegetation management and specialized work in hard-to-reach areas.

While preventive tree clearing, equipment upgrades and circuit sectionalizing have helped improve reliability, APCo is investing in a long-term solution.

The project will improve reliability by connecting the Big Rock area to additional power sources in Grundy and Poplar Creek. The union of these power lines will reduce the impact of service interruptions and will give crews more options to reroute electricity during outages. The new line will help restore power to customers more quickly and position the system for future smart grid enhancements.

“This is the first step in a comprehensive plan to improve reliability for the area,” said Christy Bragg, region support manager. “It creates opportunities for future system improvements through advanced technologies and thoughtful planning that will help deliver reliable power while keeping costs affordable.”

Once the project is completed, customers can expect faster restoration times when outages do occur and a more resilient electric system designed to better serve the region's remote mountain communities.