Summer brings longer days and higher temperatures. It also brings some of the year’s highest demand for electricity as homes and businesses turn on the air conditioning to stay comfortable.
That’s why AEP Ohio crews use the spring and early summer months to ready the electric distribution system for the season ahead. Here are a few of the ways we work to deliver safe, reliable power when you need it most.
Preparing the local grid for peak demand
The electric circuits that serve your neighborhood are built to handle periods of high demand, including the hottest days of summer.
To help keep power flowing reliably, AEP Ohio crews regularly check how electricity moves through the distribution system and adjust settings when needed. This process, known as load balancing, helps ensure no single circuit is carrying too much or too little electricity. It also gives crews more flexibility to reroute power if an outage happens, helping reduce the number of customers affected and shorten restoration times.
Spring storms and changing usage can shift the amount of load on circuits, making late spring and early summer an ideal time to prepare the system for the months ahead.
Inspecting equipment before problems occur
More daylight and generally calmer weather allow crews to spend more time inspecting the equipment that delivers electricity to homes and businesses.
Increasingly, AEP Ohio uses drones to examine poles, wires and other equipment safely and efficiently from the air. Drones allow crews to cover more ground in less time and help spot potential issues before they lead to outages.
These inspections are an important part of keeping the electric system reliable and addressing small problems before they turn into outages.
Managing vegetation near power lines
Trees falling on power lines and damaging electrical equipment are among the leading causes of outages, especially during storms.
AEP Ohio inspects and trims vegetation along every mile of the distribution system on a four-year cycle. Spring rains and warmer temperatures can speed up growth, making late spring and early summer a crucial time for forestry crews to clear vegetation that could interfere with your power.
By maintaining rights of way and managing vegetation near electric equipment, crews help reduce the risk of outages and improve reliability for customers.
Working together to deliver reliable power
Preparing for summer requires coordination across the electric grid.
While AEP Ohio is responsible for the local distribution system that delivers electricity to homes and businesses, we also work closely with organizations that manage the regional transmission system and wholesale electricity markets. Together, these efforts help ensure electricity is available and delivered safely and reliably throughout the summer months.
Whether they’re preparing circuits for higher demand, inspecting equipment or trimming trees, our crews are working every day to keep power flowing for the customers and communities we serve.
