The Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change helps readers learn about the astonishingly intricate processes that make ours the only planet known to be habitable. These three volumes include more than 750 articles that explore major topics related to global warming and climate change—ranging geographically from the North Pole to the South Pole, and thematically from social effects to scientific causes

Bakshi, Bhavik R.

Choi, Jun-Ki

English

University of Dayton

University of DaytoneCommonsMechanical and Aerospace Engineering FacultyPublicationsDepartment of Mechanical and AerospaceEngineering2008American Electric PowerJun-Ki ChoiUniversity of Dayton, jchoi1@udayton.eduBhavik R. BakshiOhio State University - Main CampusFollow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/mee_fac_pubPart of the Environmental Sciences Commons, and the Mechanical Engineering CommonsThis Encyclopedia Entry is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at eCommons. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For moreinformation, please contact frice1@udayton.edu, mschlangen1@udayton.edu.eCommons CitationChoi, Jun-Ki and Bakshi, Bhavik R., "American Electric Power" (2008). Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications. 240.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/mee_fac_pub/240AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER (AEP) was founded in 1906, and served electric utilities invarious parts of the United States for over 100 years. The company was originally formed froma utility holding-company in 1899, but began its electric utility service business in Albany, NewYork, on December 20, 1906, as American Gas and Electric (AG&E), acquiring its first utilityproperties on January 2, 1907. In 1917, AG&E operated the first super power plant on theOhio River at Wheeling, Ohio, and named it the Windsor Plant. It was the first major steamplant built at the mouth of a coal mine, eliminating the need to haul coal over long distances.It provided a significant amount of power over the nations first long-distance 138,000-volttransmission line. The AG&E made the greatest expansion in its history 1922–27. It acquired anumber of major properties such as Indiana Michigan Electric, American Electric PowerCompany in Philadelphia, and Appalachian Power Company in Virginia.With the increasing demand for electricity in the 1920s, AG&E constructed three largegenerating stations: the Twin Branch plant in northern Indiana, the Philo plant in southeasternOhio, and the Stanton plant in northeastern Pennsylvania. Even during the Great Depression,the company persevered and maintained its financial integrity through the stock market crashin 1929.AG&E constructed 36 new generating units at 14 locations in five states 1941–61 with a totalgenerating capacity of 6 million kilowatts (kW). At that time, many AG&E plants occupied thetop of the list of America's most efficient electricity generating stations. After that, it added 11new generating units for 2 million kilowatts capacity. It also managed a 390-mi. (628 km.),345,000-volt transmission system for the Ohio Valley Electric Cooperative (OVEC), which hadbeen formed to supply electrical power to the federal government's uranium enrichment plantat Piketon, Ohio. In 1958, AG&E changed its name to American Electric Power (AEP). AEPcontinued to grow 1961–75, adding 21 new generating units to bring the total system'sgenerating capacity to 17.6 million kWIn 1967 AEP announced that it would build a nuclear generating station on the shores of LakeMichigan. The 1,020,000-kW Unit 1 of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant went into commercialoperation in 1975, and the 1,090,000-kW Unit 2 was completed in 1978.New York City was AEP's headquarters for nearly three-quarters of a century, but it beganmoving its corporate offices to Columbus, Ohio, in 1980, and completed the move in 1983 withthe completion of a new 31-story office facility at One Riverside Plaza. During 1996, AEP'ssales of electricity to retail customers reached a record 100 billion kW hours. On December22, 1997, AEP announced a definitive merger with Central and South West Corp. of Dallas,Texas. The merger was completed on June 15, 2000, and created a combined electricity salesamount of 200 million megawatt hours. As of 2007, AEP had more than 5 million U.S.customers and served parts of 11 states, including Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana,Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. It was one of thelargest investor-owned utilities in United States.AEP has undergone successful expansion to date; however, with increasing concern for theenvironment, and greater international and governmental policing of energy corporations, AEPmust consider the environment a corporate responsibility. Climate change, attributed toincreasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG), is a growing concern forAEP, because it is one of the largest consumers of coal in the United States. Therefore,reducing GHG emissions and supporting a reasonable approach to carbon controls is crucialto AEP.SAGE SAGE ReferenceCopyright © 2008 by SAGE Publications, Inc.Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate ChangeAEP has been researching clean technologies. In August 2004, it announced plans toconstruct an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) coal-fired power plant. IGCCtechnology is expected to reduce the atmospheric concentration of emissions, while providingadditional electricity capacity to the customers served by AEP. IGCC is an innovative cleantechnology that turns coal into a gas, and then removes impurities from the coal gas before itis combusted. This results in lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulates, and mercury. Italso results in improved efficiency compared to conventional pulverized coal.IGCC technology is proven to work well with high-British thermal unit (Btu) coals such as thebituminous Appalachian coals readily available in AEP's eastern area. With this technology,AEP has concentrated research on developing technologies for carbon capture and storage.AEP became a founding member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the first voluntaryGHG credit trading system in the United States, and committed itself to reducing GHGemissions below baseline emission levels. The total cumulative CO2 equivalent reductionrequirement to meet the CCX commitment is approximately 46 million metric tons by 2010.AEP also committed to the recycling of its coal combustion products through the CoalCombustion Products Partnership in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency. Coal ash of the highest quality is dispensed to customers as products and unsuitableash is identified and diverted for disposal. Examples of the utilization of coal ash include theconstruction of dams, plant roads, stacks, cooling towers, and buildings.Approximately 73 percent of AEP's generating capacity is coal-fired plants, 16 percent naturalgas, and 8 percent nuclear. The remaining 3 percent is wind, hydroelectric, and othersources. The company also operates its own inland barge line and owns major tracts of landthroughout its service areas. In 2001, AEP acquired MEMCO Barge Line, Inc., and enhancedits coal transportation resources. As of 2007, AEP's transportation infrastructure consisted ofapproximately 7,500 rail cars, 1,800 barges, and 37 tugboats.Jun-KiChoi, & Bhavik R.BakshiOhio State Universityhttp://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412963893.n22SEE ALSO:Emissions, BaselineEnergyEnergy EfficiencyGlobal WarmingBibliographyAEP Company, American Electric Power Annual Report (AEP Company, 2006)Battelle Memorial Union, Phase II Interim Report on Site Qualification Studies for ElectricPower Generation, Sandusky Bay, Ohio to American Electric Power Service Corporation(Battelle Columbus Laboratories, 1983)W.S.White, American Electric Power: 75 Years of Meeting the Challenge (Newcomen Societyin North America, 1982)SAGE SAGE ReferenceCopyright © 2008 by SAGE Publications, Inc.Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change

American Electric Power

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