ROANOKE, Va., Feb. 17, 2025 – Beginning next month, Appalachian Power crews will begin work at the company-owned Joshua Falls property in Campbell County. To ensure the safety of crews and the public, access to the Joshua-Falls Boat Ramp and parking lot will be limited or may close for brief durations of 1 hour or less. The boat ramp is located 9 miles downstream from downtown Lynchburg along the James River.

Those interested can visit JFBoatRamp.com and DWR.Virginia.Gov/Boating/Access to view scheduled closures and updates about boat ramp access. Due to the intermittent schedule and weather-dependent field work, some temporary closures cannot be scheduled in advance and will be managed onsite using traffic controls and other safety measures. Every effort is being made to ensure the boat ramp and parking lot remain fully open on weekends and open with reduced parking on weekdays.

Crews plan to begin tree clearing and access road construction at the site starting next month. Additional activities, including installing a meteorological tower and taking water and soil samples, will continue throughout the year.

“We understand how important this boat ramp is to the public and surrounding communities,” said George Porter, Appalachian Power spokesperson. “We will continue to work with all stakeholders to find the ideal solution that ensures safety for crews and recreational users of the James River.”

This work is being done as part of Appalachian Power’s Early Site Permit (ESP) application process to determine if Joshua Falls is a suitable location for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Appalachian Power announced plans to explore the Campbell County property as a potential site in November 2024.

The property is owned by American Electric Power (AEP), Appalachian Power’s parent company, and is managed by the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR). This site exploration begins the roughly two-year process of developing an ESP application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Appalachian Power’s commercial use of SMR technology is estimated to be at least a decade away. Permitting and regulatory processes are in place to ensure safety and reliability of the facilities. SMRs are a promising future energy resource, and Appalachian Power representatives are working with state regulators, stakeholders, and leaders to meet quickly growing energy needs and energy policy goals.

For more information about Appalachian Power’s plans to potentially bring an SMR to Virginia, visit AppalachianPower.com/SMR.

About AEP
Our team at American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We are investing $54 billion from 2025 through 2029 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 16,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electric transmission system with 40,000 line miles, along with more than 225,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 29,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia, West Virginia and 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. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.
 

MEDIA CONTACTS:
George Porter
Director, Communications
Appalachian Power
540-985-2968
gaporter@aep.com