FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) representatives today announced the proposed route for an upgraded electric transmission line as part of the Western Marion Area Improvements Project.
Company representatives determined the route after reviewing input from landowners and community members following I&M’s project announcement and public open house held last December.
The estimated $20 million investment in Grant County involves upgrading about 5 miles of 34.5 kilovolt (kV) power line to 69-kV standards. The project involves rebuilding some sections of line in the company’s current right-of-way. Other sections of the project include re-routes and require new easements.
Additional details, including project area maps showing the proposed routes, are available at IndianaMichiganPower.com/WesternMarion.
O.R. Colan, I&M’s right-of-way representative for this project, plans to communicate with directly affected landowners to discuss preliminary field work and property easements to ensure the safe construction, operation and maintenance of the power lines.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), I&M and our contractors are limiting in-person visits with landowners during this process to ensure the safety and health of the public and our employees.
The company expects to begin construction in summer 2021 and conclude by summer 2022.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,100 employees serve more than 599,000 customers. More than two-thirds of its energy delivered in 2019 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 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,620 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s more than 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tracy Warner
Indiana Michigan Power Communications
260-479-9484
tkwarner@aep.com