New Westville area improvements project

Upcoming Project OPSB Public Hearings

Residents and local public officials living in and around the proposed project area are invited to participate and / or attend the Local Public and Adjudicatory Hearings. Members of the public can provide oral or written testimony at the local hearing, which becomes part of the case record and will be considered by the board.

Questions on how to participate in the standard application process? Visit the OPSB website.

Local Public Hearing
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
6:00 PM
Village of New Paris Council Room
301 West Cherry Street

Adjudicatory Hearing
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
10:00 AM
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Hearing Room 11-D
180 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio, 43215-3793

AES Ohio is investing in the electric transmission system to help improve reliability and operational flexibility for all customers within and surrounding Preble County. The improvement project involves building approximately 14 miles of new transmission lines, rebuilding five miles of existing transmission lines and a new distribution substation. AES Ohio is committed to safe reliable service for new and existing customers, and upgrades are necessary to strengthen the electric transmission system. This area is presently served by a single 33kV transmission line primarily constructed in the 1930s. A single outage on this line results in a complete outage to all customers served from the current New Westville substation. The proposed power lines will loop feed the load so that one line can go out and the other will remain in service to keep the power on. This will significantly increase electric reliability in the area.

Project map

Visit the New Westville project map, where you can also leave your project feedback.

See the New Westville project map

Details

The project includes:

One new distribution substation (Blazer Substation)
Building two new 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines (14 miles total)
Upgrading five miles of 69kV transmission line to 138kV

Typical structures

The project involves the use of both steel and ductile iron poles, with heights ranging from approximately 80-105 feet with an approximate ROW easement width of 30-75 feet.

New Westville area improvements overview

Additional project information

New Westville Improvements Fact Sheet

Construction Process

Environmental Stewardship

Project Need

Right Way of Easements

Siting Methodology

Typical 138kV Structures

Understanding the Grid

Vegetation Management

Ohio Siting Board process

The rules established by the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) require AES Ohio to study multiple routes and to submit two routes for the board’s evaluation. Either route will allow AES Ohio to satisfy the objects for reliability standards. All routes have advantages and drawbacks. The public information meeting will help determine which route to recommend as preferred and which to recommend as the alternative route.

The OPSB is responsible for reviewing all the information related to the project – including input from the public – and determining whether the facility will meet the suitability and necessary requirements of the siting process. Ohio’s siting process requires that the proposed facilities:

Satisfy the public need criteria for the facility
Satisfy all engineering requirements of the project
Address the compatibility of the facility with existing land use in the area and
Address the socioeconomic, land use, ecological, cultural, and environmental effects of the facility on the area.

The OPSB will make the final decision regarding which route is selected. Members of the public are encouraged to comment about this project. To contact AES Ohio about the project or request an electronic copy or hard copy of the application, please leave a message at 937-701-0674 or send an email inquiry to aesohionewprojectoutreach@aes.com.

You can also send your comments directly to the OPSB at its contact information listed below.

Persons can request notice of the board meeting by signing up on the board’s website or contacting them at the phone number listed below. Persons who desire to intervene in the board proceeding shall prepare and file with the OPSB a petition setting forth the grounds for the proposed intervention and the interest of the petitioner in the proceedings within 30 days after the date of publication of notice required in accordance with paragraph (A)(1) of Rule 4906-3-09 of the Ohio Administrative Code. The 30 days will commence following notification after an accepted application is filed with OPSB. Upon an accepted, complete application being deemed filed, the board or administrative law judge shall promptly fix the date(s) for the public hearing(s) and notify the parties. After filing an accepted, complete application with the board, the applicant shall give two notices of the proposed utility facility, one of which shall be a written notice to each owner of a property crossed and/or adjacent to the preferred and alternative routes for the transmission line and will include the time and place of the public and adjudicatory hearings. You may also contact OPSB at any time regarding the project and/or to request information pertaining to the public hearing at the contact information below.

Where can I get more information?

Visit the Ohio Power Siting Board website and search for Case #22-0627-EL-BTX. The PUCO case name for the New Westville Area Improvements Project is West Manchester-Blazer-Hodgin 138 kV Transmission Line Project.

Contact information for the OPSB:

Ohio Power Siting Board
180 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio
43215-3793
Tel: (866) 270-6772
opsb.ohio.gov