YOUNGSTOWN - A FirstEnergy-owned company will host a public meeting tonight to discuss a proposed 6-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line aimed at strengthening the electric grid in Youngstown and Campbell.

The meeting is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center, 325 W. Federal St. It will provide details about American Transmission Systems' reinforcement project, which seeks to upgrade the existing Lincoln Park and Riverbend substations and construct a new transmission line connecting them.

 American Transmission Systems, or ATSI, states the project is necessary to improve electric service reliability for approximately 15,000 customers in Youngstown and the surrounding area, reduce outages, and allow for future load growth.

Tonight's discussion follows the Ohio Power Siting Board's unanimous rejection in May 2022 of a similar FirstEnergy project. That prior plan, the Lincoln Park Riverbend 138 kV Transmission Line Project, was denied because it failed to demonstrate it met the "public interest, convenience, and necessity" required by Ohio law.

 Youngstown residents and officials, including Mayor Tito Brown, opposed the 2022 proposal. Objections focused on the preferred route, which would have affected the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater, Wean Park, and the Covelli Center in the city's revitalized downtown entertainment district.

The Ohio Power Siting Board noted it received more than 120 public comments, all opposing the project's original preferred route.

The current project’s alternative routes are in Youngstown and Campbell.

For those unable to attend tonight's meeting, ATSI has launched an online resource with project information, an interactive map, and a way to submit comments. It is available at https://firstenergy.consultation.ai/youngstown138/.