Last Updated August 19, 2026
From the comfort of our homes to the businesses and communities we rely on, electricity powers nearly every part of daily life. That’s why AEP Ohio continues to invest in reliability improvements designed to reduce outages and strengthen the electric grid for customers across the state.
Focused on Preventing Outages
In 2025, AEP Ohio launched a targeted effort to identify and address areas experiencing recurring outages. Aging equipment, vegetation, wildlife and other common issues can all impact service reliability, making proactive maintenance critical to keeping the lights on.
Rather than waiting for equipment issues to cause outages, crews have been working across the service territory to inspect infrastructure, identify potential concerns and make repairs before problems occur.
“Our teams are in the field every day looking for opportunities to make the system stronger and more reliable,” said Robert Stephens, managing director of distribution operations for AEP Ohio. “By addressing potential issues before they become outages, we’re helping provide a better experience for our customers.”
The Work Happening Behind the Scenes
Reliability improvements often happen out of sight, but the impact can be significant for customers.
Since the beginning of 2026, AEP Ohio crews have completed inspections and assessments across the service territory, including:
- 7,811 miles of power lines
- 260,287 poles
- 100,000 transformers
- 5,033 miles of vegetation work
- 335 drone circuit inspections
These inspections help crews identify equipment that may need repair or replacement before it can affect service.
Turning Inspections Into Action
The data collected in the field is already driving meaningful improvements. Lineworkers have completed a number of upgrades and repairs and will continue this work through the end of the year, including:
- 892 poles
- 1,190 crossarms
- 3,521 pieces of protection equipment
- 14,000 pieces of animal protection equipment
Forestry crews are also trimming and removing trees along 5,505 miles of power lines to reduce one of the leading causes of outages — branches and trees coming into contact with electrical equipment, especially during severe weather.
Why It Matters
Every inspection, repair and equipment replacement plays a role in reducing outages and improving restoration times when disruptions occur.
“This is one of many ways we’re working to provide customers with safe and reliable power,” Stephens said. “The progress we’ve seen so far gives us confidence that these efforts will continue making a difference in communities across Ohio.”
Reliability work is never finished. As crews continue inspections, upgrades and vegetation management throughout the year, AEP Ohio remains focused on building a stronger electric system that serves customers today and prepares for the energy needs of tomorrow.
For customers, that means fewer interruptions, faster restoration when outages do happen and a more resilient electric grid for the future.
