AEP Ohio’s No. 1 goal, every single day, is to provide the safe and reliable power you depend on. Here’s a look at some of the ways we’re doing that.
Pole Position: Protecting Ospreys and Your Power
We love wildlife and we want to keep them safe, but sometimes critters need a little encouragement on the best places to call home.
When investigating the cause of a recent outage near Pickerington, our crews discovered that an osprey nest built on top of our utility pole had fallen into our equipment. No eggs or birds were harmed, but 5,000 customers lost power. See how our teams came up with a solution to protect both our customers’ power and these large birds of prey.
Using Drones for Safe, Efficient Inspections
To stay ahead of potential issues that could affect your service, AEP Ohio crews and contractors are constantly inspecting the power lines, equipment and poles that bring electricity to your home or business. This year, we’re using aerial drone technology for these inspections to get the best view of our equipment. Drones can help our teams access hard-to-reach areas while providing an up-close look at our equipment to help identify where maintenance, repairs or updates are needed.
When it’s time for the circuit that brings your home or business power to be inspected, you’ll receive an automated phone call and email if we have your contact information on file. Update your info at AEPOhio.com/Account/Settings.
Right Tree, Right Place
AEP Ohio forestry crews inspect and maintain trees along every distribution circuit across the company’s 61-county service territory on a rotating four-year schedule. Since implementing this proactive trimming and removal cycle in 2009, the company has seen tree-related outages decline by 93%.
As temperatures warm up, many people are heading outdoors to refresh their landscaping. Before you fall in love with that cute sapling, remember that picking the right tree for the right place can help prevent power outages. Check out tips for choosing a tree, plus our new printable field guide, before you head to your local nursery.
And don’t forget: April is National Safe Digging Month. Always call 811 or visit Ohio811.org at least 48 hours before starting any project that involves digging.
