DeKalb CountyArea Improvements Project

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The project includes building about 7 miles of new 138-kilovolt transmission line and constructing the new Sowers Substation. Building the new transmission infrastructure adds extra sources of power to the area creating redundancy in the electric grid to lessen the likelihood of power outages. The improvements are driven by the need to provide continued reliable electric service to customers and for the success of the region’s economic development.

This project will include:

• Building about 2 miles of 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line south of Butler, Ind.
• Building about 5 miles of 138-kV transmission line west of the Indiana-Ohio border in Allen and DeKalb counties
• Building a new substation in Allen County
• These improvements will add extra sources of power to the area, will decrease the likelihood of power outages and speed recovery of services when outages occur. This work to strengthen the transmission network also supports economic development in the region.

Project Updates

March 2019: Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) announces the final line routes and substation location for the project. Proposed potential route segments were presented to the public last summer to help determine the path for a new substation and two separate portions of power line totaling about 7 miles in eastern Indiana. The two proposed line routes are located in Dekalb and Allen counties. One route is northwest of Newville and the other is northeast of Georgetown near the state line.

The announcement follows a comprehensive siting study, public and key stakeholder input, and a public open house in August 2018.

Summer 2018: Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) announces the DeKalb County Area Improvements project.

A public Open House will be held to gather input from local residents. Representatives from I&M will be available to discuss specific aspects of the project and to answer questions residents may have. Feedback from the community will be gathered from this event and used to help determine the final proposed line route. The Open House will be informal, and can be attended at any time during the evening and is scheduled for Thursday, August 30 from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM at St. Joe Church of Christ, 508 Jefferson St., St. Joe, Indiana.

Project Releases

• News Release - March 11, 2019 (PDF)
• News Release - August 21, 2018 (PDF)

Timeline

Structures