Ameren open houses highlight transmission line project

GALESBURG — Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois is holding open houses this week to gain public input on the Spoon River Transmission Line Project.

The new line is to stretch 40 to 55 miles from the Sandburg Substation near Galesburg to the Fargo Substation near Peoria. The 345,000-volt transmission line is scheduled to be in service in 2018.

Ameren Transmission held an open house Monday and plans another Tuesday in Galesburg..

“The most important thing for us when we build a project is to get the public’s perception,” said Peggy Ladd of Ameren Transmission. “The best thing we can do is build the smartest route possible, and to do that, it takes a combination of engineers, environmental people, real estate people, as well as the people who are going to be looking at it every day.”

The project is meant to improve access to lower-cost electricity, support about 100 construction jobs, improve reliability, reduce transmission congestion and assist the state in meeting renewable energy standards, according to Ameren Transmission.

The Renewable Portfolio Standards, as referred to by senior communications associate Leigh Morris, are a key point to consider with the Spoon River line project. It’s been federally mandated that the state use “25 percent renewable energy by the year 2025.”

Ladd said the company will make route recommendations around July. From there, it’ll likely take until the middle of 2015 to get the official OK from the Illinois Commerce Commission, at which point the environmental and real estate processes can begin.

The second open house will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Best Western Prairie Inn, 300 S. Soangetaha Road. More events will be held throughout the week in other affected areas, including Wyoming and Peoria.