TECH GROUP CANCELS FORUM ON POWER LINE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 28, 1992                   TAG: 9201280089
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-9   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Short
TECH GROUP CANCELS FORUM ON POWER LINE
Ecocycle, a Virginia Tech student group that promotes environmental awareness, has canceled a Thursday forum on the proposed 765,000-volt power line from West Virginia to Cloverdale.
Appalachian Power Co., which is proposing the line, said its officials were unable to attend.
In a letter hand-delivered Monday to the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Bureau, Apco said it had insufficient notice of the Thursday meeting. Further, company representatives had conflicts for the proposed date.
"In addition . . . the participants for the forum are still not known, and we would certainly like to know who will be involved in the forum before we agree to get involved."
Ecocycle spokesman Jeff Gauldin said, "It was a case of miscommunications."
Gauldin, in announcing the meeting, had said that Apco officials and representatives from Common Ground - a West Virginia-based opposition group - would present their views on the power line.
Ecocycle and Apco are working to establish a date in the first week of March for the forum, both said Monday.
A news item in Thursday's New River Current incorrectly stated that Apco plans to build the line to meet customer demands by 1998, including providing electricity for other companies in eastern Virginia.
"The primary purpose of the line is to meet the needs of Appalachian's own customers, not those of eastern companies," Apco said.
The company has agreed to allocate 25 percent of the line for independent power producers to transmit electricity.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB