AEP Ohio Announces Additional Southern Ohio Transmission Upgrades To Support Growing Energy Needs

GAHANNA, Ohio - AEP Ohio will make upgrades to the power grid across several southern Ohio counties. The company plans to complete work that will make additional sources of power available to Pike, Scioto and Lawrence counties. The Hanging Rock-Baku 765 kV Transmission Line is needed to serve a data center campus planned for the site of the former gaseous diffusion plant in Piketon, Ohio. The customer is committed to paying for the transmission investments needed to serve the site to help avoid increases to transmission rates for Ohio residents.

The project involves connecting the Hanging Rock Substation in Lawrence County and the proposed Baku Substation in Pike County by:

• Building approximately 33 miles of 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line.
• Rebuilding approximately 7 miles of existing 765-kV transmission line.
• Relocating and rebuilding approximately 3 miles of existing transmission line.

Communities in the project areas benefit from tax revenues generated from construction, job creation and an increase in available electric capacity. Additional electric capacity also creates opportunities for growth and community development in southern Ohio.

AEP Ohio representatives encourage 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.

Community members are invited to attend public information meetings to learn more about the project and provide input on study segments under consideration for the proposed transmission line route. Study segments are potential route options used to help identify a final proposed route. AEP Ohio will not build all study segments; the company will use public feedback, environmental review, engineering requirements and other factors to select a proposed route for regulatory review.

The public meetings take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on the following dates:

• Wednesday, Sept. 23
  Green High School Cafeteria
  4057 Gallia Pike, Franklin Furnace, OH 45629

• Thursday, Sept. 24
  Scioto County Fairgrounds
  1193 Fairground Rd, Lucasville, OH 45648

Both 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 unable to attend in person may visit a virtual open house at AEPOhio.com/HangingRock-Baku to access project information, view an interactive map and submit comments by Friday, Oct. 9.

Company officials expect construction to begin in late 2027 and conclude by 2029, pending regulatory approvals.

This project complements the Baku-Gavin Transmission Line Project announced in May 2026. The company plans to file an application for the Baku-Gavin improvements under Case No. 26-0426-EL-BTX. The application was informed by public comments, input from conversations with individual landowners and information shared with the project team during six public meetings.

Together, these power lines will help meet the customer's electricity needs. Supplying the facility with multiple lines helps support the reliable delivery of power throughout the region.

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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 American Electric Power
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 33,000 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.