AEP picks new route for transmission line through Campbell, Pittsylvania Counties
A representative with AEP said the new transmission line is an upgrade that is part of the Altavista-Leesville Transmission Improvements Project. The route was selected after two community open houses, meetings with local officials, and field studies that looked at multiple options.
AEP is seeking grants for small advanced nuclear sites in Virginia
The project will:
Rebuilding approximately 4.5 miles of 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in or near the existing right-of-way.
Building approximately 5 miles of 138-kV transmission line parallel to existing transmission lines.
'Our engineering team, particularly, went to great lengths to make this route a reality,' said George Porter, Appalachian Power spokesperson. 'The team feels confident that the proposed route balances landowner feedback, environmental impact, and land use, all while maintaining reliable electric power in the area. We thank the many community members and stakeholders who provided key information to help us build a project that will help us improve reliability for customers.'
The AEP project team will be filing the project with the Virginia State Corporation Commission this summer and, if approved, will proceed with construction from late 2026 to late 2027.
For more detailed information and to view an interactive project map, you can visit AppalachianPower.com/Altavista-Leesville.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Journals
4 hours ago
- Business Journals
A look back
In 1995, businesses were just starting to boot up Windows 95, Amazon was only selling books and people did a good portion of their internet searches via AltaVista. It was also the year the Courier launched its Forty Under 40 program. Now, three decades later, we're taking a look back.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
AEP data center in Hilliard area to be powered by new natural gas pipeline in central Ohio
American Electric Power is hoping to develop a fuel cell-powered data center in the Hilliard area that will rely on a natural gas pipeline to be built by a West Virginia company and its Ohio subsidiary. Known as the Scioto Darby Creek Road Fuel Cell System Project, it will be located in a potentially environmentally sensitive area just north of Scioto Darby Creek Road and west of Interstate 270, according to a document filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. "I would assume that there are other pipelines already serving Hilliard," said Anthony Sasson, a member of the Darby Creek Association and watchdog of ecological impacts in the area. "If the pipeline is new and goes far enough west, that could be an issue." Hope Utilities announced an agreement to construct the pipeline to supply a fuel cell project being developed by American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) to power a data center in the county. The size and precise location of the data center have not been released. "AEP previously announced an agreement to purchase Bloom Energy fuel cells to use as a generation solution for data centers. The (Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) recently approved AEP's proposal with the end customer supporting the total cost of the fuel cell projects," Scott Blake, AEP director of media relations, said in an email to The Dispatch. "This pipeline would supply natural gas to one of those projects. Customer information and contract details are confidential." AEP in June announced plans to install onsite fuel cells at facilities operated by Amazon Web Services and Cologix. The fuel cells provide the energy that allows these data centers to begin operations quickly, while the electric grid grows to support their needs, according to the news release. Bloom systems provide energy through chemical reactions from solid oxide fuel cells and natural gas. Under these long-term agreements, AWS and Cologix will cover the full project costs. It was unclear which of the projects would be online first. Blake said that the 4-mile pipeline would act as a connector to a larger gas line. Data centers, typically used by large tech companies Amazon, Google and Facebook, have received scrutiny for their energy consumption and potential to overburden the electrical power grid. Columbus alone has at least 23 data centers, according to a Dispatch analysis earlier this year. Hope Utilities, based in Morgantown, West Virginia, owns natural gas, water and wastewater utility companies in several states, including gas utilities in Ohio and four other states. The companies provide service to more than 200,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Hope Utilities' Ohio subsidiary, Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation (NEO), will build, operate and maintain the pipeline and associated natural gas facilities for this project. NEO is a regulated public utility that provides natural gas service to more than 36,000 customers in 31 Ohio counties. "Hope Utilities and NEO are ready to deliver the natural gas expertise, infrastructure and resources necessary to move these important projects forward,' Morgan O'Brien, Hope Utilities CEO said in a prepared release. The pipeline project and supporting infrastructure will be complete and in service by October 2026. 'Ohio is poised to benefit from investments to support data centers,' said O'Brien. 'Data center investments will significantly enhance the economic trajectory of Ohio and the region. Hope is committed to adding to those investments through infrastructure upgrades and other community investments." Delaware County and northern suburbs reporter Dean Narciso can be reached at dnarciso@ This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New natural gas pipeline to power AEP data center in Hilliard area Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Hope Utilities to Construct Natural Gas Pipeline in Ohio to Power Data Center Project
Morgantown, WV, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hope Utilities announced an agreement to construct a natural gas pipeline to supply a fuel cell project being developed by American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) to power a data center in central Ohio. Hope Utilities' local subsidiary, Northeast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation (NEO), will build, operate and maintain the pipeline and associated natural gas facilities for this project. 'Hope Utilities is proud to be a natural gas partner on this project with AEP, one of the nation's largest electric providers,' Morgan O'Brien, Hope Utilities CEO said. 'Energy and power are key components for economic development and growth opportunities. Data center developers will build these facilities in locations that have the reliable and affordable energy resources they need. Hope Utilities and NEO are ready to deliver the natural gas expertise, infrastructure and resources necessary to move these important projects forward.' NEO's pipeline and supporting infrastructure, including interconnects with interstate pipelines, will be complete and in service by October 2026. The pipeline will provide the capabilities necessary to meet and exceed the customers' requirements. 'Ohio is poised to benefit from investments to support data centers,' said O'Brien. 'Data center investments will significantly enhance the economic trajectory of Ohio and the region. Hope is committed to adding to those investments through infrastructure upgrades and other community investments. This pipeline investment is just the start of Hope Utilities and NEO's support of these projects to provide meaningful economic development opportunities throughout Ohio.' ### About Hope Utilities Hope Utilities owns natural gas and water distribution utilities across six states. We provide service to more than 200,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the communities we serve. We currently operate natural gas utilities in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Indiana; and water and wastewater utilities in Arizona, Michigan, and Texas. Hope's growth strategy is built on being a trusted member of the communities we serve, providing our customers with safe, reliable, and cost-effective utility service. Learn more about Hope at About Northeast Ohio Natural Gas CorporationNortheast Ohio Natural Gas Corporation (NEO), a Hope Utilities company, is a regulated public utility that provides safe, reliable, and cost-effective natural gas service to more than 36,000 customers in 31 Ohio counties since 1986. NEO operates out of four Ohio offices located in Lancaster, Strasburg, Orwell and Mentor. Learn more at CONTACT: Erin O'Donnell Hope Utilities 888-833-1711