Streetcar utility relocation talks bewteen Duke Energy, Cincinnati reach an impasse

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati’s $128 million streetcar project is facing a new challenge that threatens to delay or derail the effort.

Duke Energy officials notified the city on Wednesday that they’re suspended talks regarding utility relocation costs.

According to Duke officials, the city wants rate payers to pay for moving gas and electric lines within the streetcar right-of-way.

Johnna Reeder, Duke’s Vice-President of Community Relations, said rate payers shouldn’t be solely responsible for that cost.

Negotiations between Duke and Cincinnati officials have been ongoing for 18 months, but Reeder said “we’re done.”

Duke Energy wants two things resolved with the city before they move forward:

-$18.7 million in utility relocation costs must be paid for as part of the project cost, not by Duke rate payers.
- Want an eight-foot safety zone in which to work on utilities after the streetcar is up and running.

Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory is in Washington, D.C., for the 3rd Annual Streetcar Summit.

Efforts are being made to contact him and other city leaders.

The mayor was invited to the two-day event to share Cincinnati’s development strategies with other cities building streetcars and learn about new federal funding opportunities.