GAHANNA, Ohio — AEP Ohio will upgrade the power grid in Pike, Jackson and Gallia counties to serve a data center campus planned for the site of the former gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon, Ohio. The data center customer is paying for all transmission investments needed to serve the site, insulating other AEP Ohio customers from the transmission costs related to this project. AEP Ohio expects power to begin flowing to the site in 2029.
The project includes:
- Building Baku Substation in Pike County off Wakefield Mound Road.
- Building about 50 miles of 765-kilovolt transmission line between Baku Substation and Gavin Substation, located in Cheshire near Highway 554.
The community benefits from the project through tax revenues generated from construction, job creation and an increase in available electric capacity. Additional capacity creates opportunities for growth and community development in southern Ohio.
Community members are invited to public information open houses to learn more and share input, particularly on study segments under consideration for the proposed line route. Study segments include alternatives to determine a final line route. Not all study segments will be built; one route will be selected based on public feedback and feasibility.
The open houses take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on:
- Monday, May 11 at the Pike County Career Tech Center Cafeteria.
- Wednesday, May 13 at the Jackson County OSU Extension Office Auditorium.
- Thursday, May 14 at the Field of Hope Community Campus Gymnasium in Vinton.
All three meetings offer the same information, so community members may choose one to attend. There is no formal presentation, so attendees can arrive any time during the event.
Landowners and community members who can’t attend may visit a virtual open house at AEPOhio.com/PiketonArea to get project information, view an interactive map and submit comments by Friday, May 29.
AEP Ohio encourages landowners to provide input to help the company determine a final proposed power line route that minimizes impacts to the community and environment. The project requires approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board.
Company officials expect construction to begin in early 2027 and conclude by late 2028, pending regulatory approvals.
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About AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.
About AEP
American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We plan to invest $78 billion from 2026 through 2030 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 18,000 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 32,000 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.