Overview
- AEP Transmission will reconductor existing lines within current rights-of-way to boost capacity and reliability across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.
- The utility cites rapid load growth from data centers, artificial intelligence and manufacturing, with customers committing to about 24 gigawatts of new demand by the end of the decade.
- DOE requires utilities using Energy Dominance financing to pass financial benefits to customers, and AEP estimates $275 million in lifetime bill savings from lower borrowing costs.
- Initial work covers roughly 100 miles in Ohio and Oklahoma, and the company expects about 1,100 construction jobs across the multi-year upgrade program.
- The financing originated as a Biden-era conditional commitment and, after DOE review under current leadership, closed as the first completed deal under the rebranded program.