The city of South Haven has notified residents of a major electric transmission project in the area that could lead to disruptions in service.
The city’s electric department says its transmission provider, AEP Transmission, is performing power-supply upgrades this fall. While the seven-week project does not include any planned outages, the possibility remains that there could be disruptions caused by construction.
The city says it’s coordinating with AEP and is prepared to respond to any unexpected outages, but if an outage does occur — like a car-pole crash or a storm — there is an increased risk that larger than normal areas could be affected. That’s because the electric system will be temporarily reconfigured for construction.
The work is part of the Hartford Area Improvement Project, which AEP says is intended to strengthen the electric transmission network in Southwest Michigan. The project will rebuild about 18 miles of transmission between Hartford, Bangor, and South Haven. That’ll include replacing wooden poles from the 1950s with modern steel poles.
