Piketon Area Improvements Project

AEP Ohio announced the Piketon Area Improvements Project in April 2026. The project will upgrade the power grid in several southern Ohio counties. The planned improvements provide new power sources, support future electric capacity needs and enhance economic development opportunities in the region. Communities benefit from tax revenue generated by construction, job creation and increased electric capacity.

The work includes building multiple power lines and upgrading area substations to power a data center campus at the site of the former gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon, Ohio. Multiple power sources are needed to ensure if one line experiences an outage, the grid can continue to operate.

Customer-Funded Project Work

The customer has committed to paying for the transmission investments to help avoid increases to transmission rates for Ohio residents.

Your Input Matters

Input from impacted landowners and surrounding communities is an important part of identifying potential routes. Comments received during public meetings and through online submissions have already helped inform development of the preferred route for the first phase.

The proposed improvements require review and approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). The OPSB process includes public engagement and outreach to residents, landowners and communities in the project area.

Impacted and adjacent landowners are notified by mail about the project and invited to attend an initial public informational meeting. Local officials are also notified about the meeting by mail and notices of the public meetings are placed in local newspapers.

State, county and township officials are given the opportunity to provide information about future development plans, share their thoughts on the potential routes and ask questions about the project through stakeholder meetings.

Input received during the public informational meetings and stakeholder meetings is used to help refine and select a final line route that is submitted to the OPSB for review and approval.

Visit Project Pages for More Information

The project-specific pages below include details specific to each project. This includes information such as project schedules, project updates and OPSB details.

Baku - Gavin 765 kV Transmission Line Project (Pike, Jackson and Gallia counties) Hanging Rock - Baku 765 kV Transmission Line Project (Pike, Scioto and Lawrence counties) Feasibility Study in Pike, Ross and Pickaway counties