FORT WAYNE, Ind., February 6, 2026 – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power company, is reaffirming its commitment to the communities it serves with the launch of Future Ready Sites Accelerator, a program designed to prepare land and existing buildings for industrial investment. The program relies on expertise from InSite Consulting, a national leader for site services, and gives communities a chance to showcase the potential of undeveloped locations, to help spur economic activity and create work opportunities.
The program kicked off in December 2025. I&M has reviewed applications, made recommendations, and provided five sites to InSite for evaluation. I&M contacted communities, local economic development organizations, industrial real estate brokers and elected officials seeking applications, and selected the first round of sites based on competitive site attributes.
This program will help increase the number of vetted sites prioritized for manufacturers, streamline the site readiness process, and position sites for competitive national site selection and development, attracting new investment in the communities where the sites are located.
“I&M has experienced great success when we collaborate with our local economic development organizations to identify and plan for future industrial development together,” said Ashley Savieo, director of economic development at I&M. “The Site Accelerator program helps to further our shared goals of expediting the site selection process so that our communities can grow jobs and their tax base.”
The five qualifying sites in I&M’s customer service areas in Indiana and Michigan under review by InSite include:
- DeKalb County Airport Site – Auburn, Ind.
- Muncie Industria Centre Expansion – Muncie, Ind.
- Mattawan Life Sciences Park – Mattawan, Mich.
- Lake Michigan Industrial Park – Benton Harbor, Mich.
- LJC Farms Site – South Bend, Ind.
Over the last 15 years, I&M and AEP have actively invested in industrial site readiness, generating significant results with many of those sites which are now occupied by new or expanded companies. The new Future Ready Sites Accelerator program puts in place a formal process for I&M to gather site information and seek InSite’s expertise.
What to Expect
All applicants referred to InSite receive real-time, one-on-one coaching from InSite’s team of experts and the sites are evaluated based on their own merit, using InSite’s forensic site analysis.
As part of their analysis, InSite will identify any readiness gaps that require mitigation to help site owners and potential investors understand the financial implications and make informed decisions.
In addition to the site readiness analysis, InSite conducts a boots-on-the-ground community and site visit to provide real-time feedback based on observations.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,000 employees serve more than 600,000 customers. More than 85% of its energy delivered in 2024 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 35 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 1,497 MW of coal-fueled generation.
American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We expect to invest $72 billion from 2026 through 2030 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electric transmission system with 40,000 line miles, along with more than 252,000 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 30,000 megawatts of diverse owned and contracted 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.