SHREVEPORT, La. (Feb. 27, 2023) – Southwestern Electric Power Co., an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, announced today a construction project to support continued growth within Northwest Arkansas.
The project spans approximately 3.2 miles and begins along Arkansas Highway 170 starting at the intersection of Clyde Carnes Road and extends south to the intersection with U.S. Highway 62.
SWEPCO crews will replace approximately 90 poles and upgrade primary conductors which will enable future increased capacity to both Farmington and Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and soon-to-be developed subdivisions.
“We’re excited to move forward with this additional investment in Northwest Arkansas. This project will result in more capacity so we can meet future demands in this growing region of Arkansas,” explained SWEPCO President and COO Brett Mattison.
The project is expected to begin at the end of February and will continue through the end of the year, weather permitting. Already, SWEPCO crews have identified optimal project times so as not to interfere with school schedules at nearby Farmington High school.
Temporary lane closures and possible traffic delays could occur during the project. Some customers may experience a short outage while their service is transferred to the new conductors.
Mattison encouraged all area residents and motorists to drive with caution.
“We care about our community members and our crews and encourage all drivers to take extra precautions and drive safely as we undertake this important work,” Mattison said.
SWEPCO serves more than 551,000 customers in three states, including approximately 126,000 in Arkansas.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, serves more than 551,000 customers in Northwest and Central Louisiana, Northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle, and Western Arkansas. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv and LinkedIn.com/company/swepco.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 6,900 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2032. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2045. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.