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

DATE: THURSDAY, February 10, 1994                   TAG: 9402100131
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KAREN BARNES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

APCO TOLD TO OPEN ACCESS

Several municipally operated electric utilities in Western Virginia can force Appalachian Power to transmit power from an unaffiliated Midwestern company, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled Wednesday.

The commission upheld a lower judge's decision rendered in December favoring the Blue Ridge Power Agency's request for Apco and its parent company, American Electric Power Co., to transport power from PSI Energy Inc., based in Indiana.

The Blue Ridge Power Agency - composed of Bedford, Danville, Martinsville, Salem, Radford, Virginia Tech and Richlands - can now purchase 50 megawatts from PSI as long as Apco is fairly compensated for transmitting the power and service to regular Apco customers is uninterrupted, the commission ruled.

The local energy consortium cited the 1992 Federal Energy Policy Act that requires utilities to open access to power lines. Apco argued current contracts barred its customers from buying power from another company.

Under the terms of Wednesday's ruling, Apco and Blue Ridge Power Agency have 30 days to negotiate rates and other conditions of the new working relationship.

by CNB