FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) plans an approximate $14 million investment to upgrade the electric transmission system to ensure safe and reliable electric service for customers in western Fort Wayne.

The McKinley-West State Transmission Line Rebuild Project involves updating about 3 miles of transmission line and upgrading a substation. I&M plans to rebuild the transmission line in the existing right-of-way, though in some areas it may need to be widened to ensure the safe construction, operation and maintenance of the line.

I&M representatives plan to communicate project updates with directly-involved landowners and residents throughout the process.

Company officials expect construction to begin Summer 2021 and conclude Fall 2022. For more information, including detailed project area maps, visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/McKinley-WestState.

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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
Cell: 260-479-9484
tkwarner@aep.com}