Indiana Michigan Power is planning a major transmission line project in the Benton Harbor area.
Spokesperson Tracy Warner tells us the work will come in two phases, one next year and one in 2026.
“I&M will be upgrading about seven miles of transmission lines,” Warner said. “It’s going to accommodate a higher voltage. That higher voltage helps support the growing demand for electricity, and it will also improve reliability because we’ll have new poles and wires and the poles will be steel instead of the older wooden poles.”
Warner says the work next year will be from Main Street in Benton Harbor south to areas of Benton Township, while the 2026 work will be north of Main Street. They’re replacing power poles that are decades old.
“We definitely want to decrease the number of outages and with better equipment that will last longer.”
I&M will seek to keep disruptions to a minimum while it does the work.
The company sought four easements from the Benton Harbor City Commission this week to make the first phase of the project possible. The request was conditionally granted, pending attorney review.
