AEP in accord to Ohio electricity service upgrades

The agreement between Columbus-based AEP and the staff of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO, requires AEP to improve its 25 percent worst performing electric distribution circuits in the state to cut yearly outage times by 40 percent as measured by a utility industry index.

Separately, the Ohio agency turned down a call by a state consumer agency for a PUCO investigation of the quality of service provided by Ohio utilities.

The Ohio Consumers Counsel wanted PUCO to probe AEP and FirstEnergy Corp. , the Akron-based utility whose Ohio transmission lines were identified as triggering the huge Aug. 14 blackout in the Northeast and part of Canada.

A PUCO spokeswoman said the regulatory agency already was working with AEP and FirstEnergy, but the consumer group was free to file a complaint if it wished.

FirstEnergy is responding to a PUCO order to strengthen its control room computer systems, identified as not having adequate alarms or equipment to flag the Aug. 14 breakdown on the grid.

The AEP-PUCO accord also calls for continued talks on reporting outages, the utility's program to trim trees near power lines, and other electric distribution improvements.