diff --git a/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py b/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py
index b7aae58b34767b868c18fe329befd9b0e7ad2e43..80cfd64b36b9d5132f6dc44064243e18df46e4a6 100755
--- a/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/Simulations.py
@@ -4747,6 +4747,12 @@ class Cases(object):
                                 save=save, check_datatypes=True, xlsx=xlsx,
                                 complib=self.complib)
 
+        # check if the power channel actually exists first!
+        if ch_powe not in dfs[chan_col_name].unique():
+            msg = 'The defined channel for the electrical power does not '
+            msg =+ 'exist: %s' % ch_powe
+            raise UserWarning(msg)
+
         # and select only the power channels
         dfs_powe = dfs[dfs[chan_col_name]==ch_powe]
 
diff --git a/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py b/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
index 6602cd3d5270f09fe1735499837b756afb8d48aa..f59a80de426184aa816bb1b0453cdf56dffe224b 100644
--- a/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
+++ b/wetb/prepost/dlctemplate.py
@@ -462,11 +462,6 @@ def post_launch(sim_id, statistics=True, rem_failed=True, check_logs=True,
             ch_powe = 'DLL-2-inpvec-2'
         elif 'DLL-dtu_we_controller-inpvec-2' in df_stats['channel'].unique():
             ch_powe = 'DLL-dtu_we_controller-inpvec-2'
-        else:
-            if ch_powe not in df_stats['channel'].unique():
-                msg = 'The defined channel for the electrical power does not '
-                msg =+ 'exist: %s' % ch_powe
-                raise UserWarning(msg)
 
         df_AEP = cc.AEP(df_stats, csv=csv, update=update, save=True,
                         ch_powe=ch_powe)