Niles AreaTransmission Improvements Project: Niles Central

Indiana Michigan Power representatives plan to upgrade the power grid in the Niles area by making improvements to the transmission infrastructure.

The Niles Area Transmission Improvements Project includes power line and substation improvements in several components. The Niles Central component, located in Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan, involves:

Building the 69-kilovolt (kV) FourFlag Substation
Upgrading the 69-kV Lake Street Substation
Retiring 2.5 miles of 34.5-kV transmission line
Building a half-mile of 69-kV transmission line to connect FourFlag Substation to the power system

The project strengthens the local transmission grid and improves electric reliability for area customers. The new substation provides increased capacity to serve area customers and reduce the likelihood of service interruptions.

Project Updates

Summer 2024: O.R. Colan (ORC) serves as I&M’s right-of-way representative on this project. Landowners can expect to hear from a right-of-way agent in the near future. Company representatives may need to supplement or acquire new easements for the transmission line. Easements are defined land rights that property owners grant the utility to allow for the safe construction, operation and maintenance of the power line.