FORT WAYNE, Ind., February 6, 2026 - Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power company, is reaffirming its commitment to the communities it serves with the launch of Future Ready Sites Accelerator, a program designed to prepare land and existing buildings for industrial investment. The program relies on expertise from InSite Consulting, a national leader for site services, and gives communities a chance to showcase the potential of undeveloped locations, to help spur economic activity and create work opportunities.
The program kicked off in December 2025. I&M has reviewed applications, made recommendations, and provided five sites to InSite for evaluation. I&M contacted communities, local economic development organizations, industrial real estate brokers and elected officials seeking applications, and selected the first round of sites based on competitive site attributes.
This program will help increase the number of vetted sites prioritized for manufacturers, streamline the site readiness process, and position sites for competitive national site selection and development, attracting new investment in the communities where the sites are located.
"We're not just preparing land - we're laying the groundwork for shared prosperity that benefits our communities and our customers," said Ashley Savieo, director of economic development at I&M. "The Site Accelerator program is designed to help local economic development organizations take proactive steps long before a business begins its formal site search. By getting sites vetted, prepared and investment ready in advance, we help remove uncertainty and shorten the timeline for development. We are helping our communities compete for economic development projects and win."
The five qualifying sites in I&M’s customer service areas in Indiana and Michigan under review by InSite include:
- DeKalb County Airport Site – Auburn, Ind.
- Muncie Industria Centre Expansion – Muncie, Ind.
- Mattawan Life Sciences Park – Mattawan, Mich.
- Lake Michigan Industrial Park – Benton Harbor, Mich.
- LJC Farms Site – South Bend, Ind.
Over the last 15 years, I&M and AEP have actively invested in industrial site readiness, generating significant results with many of those sites which are now occupied by new or expanded companies. The new Future Ready Sites Accelerator program puts in place a formal process for I&M to gather site information and seek InSite's expertise.
What to Expect
All applicants referred to InSite receive real-time, one-on-one coaching from InSite’s team of experts and the sites are evaluated based on their own merit, using InSite’s forensic site analysis.
As part of their analysis, InSite will identify any readiness gaps that require mitigation to help site owners and potential investors understand the financial implications and make informed decisions.
In addition to the site readiness analysis, InSite conducts a boots-on-the-ground community and site visit to provide real-time feedback based on observations.
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La sede de Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) se encuentra en Fort Wayne, y sus, aproximadamente, 2,000 empleados prestan servicios a más de 600,000 clientes. Más del 85% de la energía eléctrica que proporcionó en 2024 fue libre de emisiones. I&M tiene a su disposición diversas fuentes de generación, lo que incluye 2,278 MW de generación de energía nuclear en Michigan, 450 MW de generación de energía eólica comprada de Indiana, más de 22 MW de generación de energía hidráulica en los dos estados y, aproximadamente, 35 MW de generación de energía solar a gran escala en los dos estados. The company's generation portfolio also includes 1,497 MW of coal-fueled generation.
American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) is committed to improving our customers' lives with reliable, affordable power. We expect to invest $72 billion from 2026 through 2030 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electric transmission system with 40,000 line miles, along with more than 252,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 30,000 megawatts of diverse owned and contracted generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP también es propietaria de AEP Energy, que brinda soluciones energéticas competitivas e innovadoras en todo el país. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.