Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power company, plans to upgrade a transmission line east of downtown Fort Wayne.

The South Anthony-Lakeside Transmission Line Rebuild Project modernizes aging infrastructure to continue to provide a reliable flow of electricity to local customers. The project includes upgrading approximately 2 miles of 34.5-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to 69-kV standards to meet the power demands of current customers and prepare the electric grid for future growth in the area.

Some sections of the line will be rebuilt in the current right-of-way, which may require updating or supplementing existing easements. For other portions of the project, study segments are under consideration for potential re-routes that would require new easements.

As part of the evaluation process, I&M is inviting community members and landowners along the proposed route and study segments to learn more at a come-and-go open house. The public open house will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2018, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Park Middle School on 2200 Maumee Ave. in Fort Wayne.

Attendees can arrive at any time to review maps and speak with company representatives. I&M is encouraging landowners to attend the open house and provide feedback on the project and proposed study segments. This input is essential in helping the company determine the final proposed line route.

Construction of the $10 million project is expected to start summer 2019 and be completed by summer 2020. Additional information, including study segment locations, is available on the project website at IndianaMichiganPower.com/SouthAnthony-Lakeside

Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,450 employees serve more than 589,000 customers. More than half of its generation is emission-free, including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company's generation portfolio also includes 2,600 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity and custom energy solutions to nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states. AEP owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a more than 40,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP also operates 223,000 miles of distribution lines. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning approximately 31,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.