AEP Ohio representatives plan to upgrade the power grid in Pike, Scioto and Lawrence 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 Hanging Rock-Baku 765-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project involves connecting the Hanging Rock Substation in Lawrence County and the proposed Baku Substation in Pike County by:
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.
Company representatives are evaluating several study segments to determine the best feasible route for the new transmission line. Study segments are multiple alternatives presented to determine a line route. Not all segments are built. Once public feedback has been provided, one route corridor is identified and submitted to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). Appropriate studies, such as environmental and cultural resources, are completed prior to submittal.
Summer 2026: We invite you to join us at a public informational meeting to learn more about the proposed transmission line, talk with team members about the study corridors and share your feedback. Both meetings include the same information, so there is no need to attend more than one meeting. There is no formal presentation, and you may arrive at any time during the event.
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Green High School Cafeteria, 4057 Gallia Pike, Franklin Furnace, OH 45629
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Scioto County Fairgrounds, 1193 Fairground Rd, Lucasville, OH 45648
Company representatives are accepting feedback through Friday, October 9.
Next Steps
Company representatives plan to use the information collected during this process to develop a preferred route. Additional outreach and public meetings will be held once a preferred route has been identified.
Following that process, company representatives will submit an application to the OPSB showing that the preferred route balances stakeholder interests while enabling service to the customer.
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 with the OPSB as the Hanging Rock - Baku 765 kV Transmission Line Project, Case No. 26-0870-EL-BTX early next year.
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.
The project involves the use of steel lattice towers.
Tower Height: Approximately 155 - 200 feet*
Right-of-Way Width: 200 feet*
*Exact structure types, height and right-of-way requirements may vary
AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers.
Project Outreach Specialist with WSP representing AEP Ohio
833-225-2043
piketonarea@aeptransmission.com
