City, Appalachian Power outline fixes after spike in Lynchburg streetlight outages
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Summary
City staff and Appalachian Power told Lynchburg council the utility and the city are coordinating to speed repairs after several months of elevated outages; APCO said it reduced outstanding outages from about 460 in January to roughly 137 and aims to reach zero by month’s end while the city updates reporting practices.
Lynchburg city staff and representatives from Appalachian Power told the city council on Feb. 10 that they have stepped up crews and coordination to clear a backlog of streetlight outages and improve public reporting.
Public works staff said the city has more than 10,600 streetlights under Appalachian Power’s maintenance and that most repairs are lamp or fixture replacements. "We have over 10,600 streetlights that are owned and maintained by Appalachian Power," the city’s public-works presentation stated. Staff described a reporting gap when residents report outages directly to APCO instead of through the city, and noted the city lacks an automated dashboard to track each outage end-to-end.
Rob Mann, Appalachian Power’s external affairs representative, said APCO had about 460 outstanding streetlight trouble tickets in the first week of January but has since reduced that number. "Our goal currently is to have everything zeroed out by the end of the month," Mann said, adding that field crews and dedicated crews on Mayflower Drive are working nonstop to repair lights.
APCO described operational constraints that lengthen some repairs — damaged underground conductors, permitting or traffic-control requirements, and specialty decorative poles whose parts are not stocked locally — and offered reporting guidance: the utility prefers online reports that include the pole (poll) number or precise address to help crews find the correct unit. APCO said typical repair times average about 13 days for routine fixes and up to about 22 days when material must be ordered. A 13-month dataset showed longer tails in some cases (median 59 days; mean 77 days), driven by complex underground or permitting issues.
Council members pressed for better public transparency and called for a simple one-page guide and improvements to the city-utility feedback loop. City staff and APCO agreed to produce outreach materials and to continue twice-weekly operational coordination; staff also raised the franchise agreement with APCO, currently slated for renewal, as an opportunity to negotiate improved reporting and credits for extended outages.
Council members said they will follow up on options to restore or replace the city's previous mobile-reporting app and on whether a dashboard or quarterly status reports from APCO would be feasible. The meeting record contains no formal ordinance or vote on the matter; staff said they would report back with options.
