Baku - Gavin 765 kV Transmission Line

AEP Ohio representatives plan to upgrade the power grid in Pike, Jackson and Gallia counties. This project requires regulatory approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). The OPSB process requires public engagement and outreach to residents in the project area.

The project involves:

Building Baku Substation in Pike County off Wakefield Mound Road.
Building about 50 miles of 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between Baku Substation and Gavin Substation, located in Cheshire near Highway 554.

The project provides power to a data center campus in Piketon, located at the former gaseous diffusion plant. Multiple power sources are needed to ensure if one line experiences an outage, the grid can continue to operate. The customer is committed to paying for the transmission investments to help avoid increases to transmission rates for Ohio residents.

Your community benefits from the project through tax revenues generated from construction, job creation, and an increase in future electric capacity. Additional electric capacity creates an opportunity for growth and community development in southern Ohio.

Project Updates

Summer 2026: Project representatives are reviewing the results of field surveys and feedback from July public meetings. We plan to file the project with the Ohio Power Siting Board as Baku - Gavin 765 kV Transmission Line Project (Case No. 26-0426-EL-BTX) soon. We plan to communicate an update to the community as more information becomes available.

Ohio Power Siting Board Certification Process

In order to construct the project, company representatives must obtain the approval of the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). Following the public input process, the AEP Ohio project team plans to prepare and submit an application to the OPSB. The application includes information on the proposed route for this project. The company plans to file the improvements as the Baku - Gavin 765 kV Transmission Line Project, Case No. 26-0426-EL-BTX this summer. AEP Ohio project team members plan to submit the application with the OPSB this summer.

The OPSB is legally obligated to review the application and, if certain legal criteria are met, it may approve the project. OPSB approval is obtained through the issuance of a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need. For more information on the OPSB, its composition and the process it will follow in reviewing the application for the project, please visit opsb.ohio.gov. You can also contact OPSB staff via e-mail at ContactOPSB@puco.ohio.gov, by phone at 866-270-6772 or mailing correspondence to 180 East Broad Street, 11th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215.

The OPSB will schedule a separate public hearing on the project in the future. You may request notice of the public hearing using any of the communication methods mentioned earlier in this letter. You can file petitions to intervene in the OPSB process to the siting board up to 30 days following the public notice announcing the public hearing.