Kentucky Power plans 26-mile transmission upgrade in Johnson, Lawrence Counties

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ky. (WSIP) – Kentucky Power and Appalachian Power are planning upgrades to the electric transmission system in Lawrence and Johnson counties and Wayne County, West Virginia.

The Big Sandy-Thelma Transmission Improvements Project would rebuild about 26 miles of 138-kilovolt transmission line between the Big Sandy and Thelma substations and improve the connection to the Busseyville Substation.

The project would replace 1960s-era infrastructure that has experienced outages in recent years.

An open house will be held to share the proposal with the public. Meeting times:

5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 26 at the Louisa Senior Citizens Center, 101 W. Pike Street, Louisa.

5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Paintsville High School Gymnasium, 225 2nd Street, Paintsville. 

If approved, construction is expected to begin in fall 2029 and be completed by fall 2030.