GAHANNA, Ohio — AEP Ohio is planning to upgrade the electric transmission grid in Van Wert County to meet growing power needs in the area.
The Maddox Creek-Norse Transmission Project involves:
- Building an electric facility, Norse Substation, off Stripe Road north of U.S. 30.
- Building about 2.5 miles of 345-kilovolt transmission lines* connecting the Maddox Creek Substation off Fife Road to the proposed Norse Substation.
- Connecting the Norse Substation to a customer facility.
* The company plans to build two separate transmission lines from the Maddox Creek Substation that will merge onto a single set of structures before connecting to the Norse Substation.
The project delivers power to a new customer facility, with the customer covering the costs for the connections between Norse Substation and their site, as well as the power they use. The project also provides additional electric capacity to support future economic development and growth in the area.
Landowners and community members are invited to an open house to learn more about the project and share input, particularly on study segments under consideration for the new power lines. The public event takes place on Wednesday, August 12, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Wassenberg Art Center, 214 S. Washington Street, Van Wert, OH 45891. There is no formal presentation, so attendees can arrive any time during the event.
Those who can’t attend may visit a virtual open house at AEPOhio.com/MaddoxCreek-Norse to get project details, view an interactive map and submit comments by Friday, August 28.
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 Ohio Power Siting Board approval. If approved, company officials expect construction to begin in late 2027 and conclude by late 2028.
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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 expect 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.