Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI) and Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC) have announced the next phase of the Lakeland Area Reliability Project, a transmission infrastructure initiative aimed at improving grid reliability, resilience, and long-term energy capacity in southern Illinois.
As part of the project, the utilities plan to construct an approximately 15-mile, 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting Ameren Illinois’ existing Benton Northwest Substation with SIPC’s Franklin Junction Substation, located south of the Village of Hanaford. The Benton Northwest Substation will also undergo upgrades to support the new transmission infrastructure.
To gather community input on the proposed transmission route, ATXI and SIPC will host a public open house in Benton, Illinois, on July 14, where residents and stakeholders will have an opportunity to review project information, engage with the project team, and provide feedback on the routing process.
According to the companies, the Lakeland Area Reliability Project is designed to enhance electricity reliability for local communities, improve grid resilience to reduce power constraints during periods of high demand or system disruptions, and support future economic development across the region.
The utilities said the public consultation process will play a key role in evaluating potential transmission routes. In addition to the in-person meeting, a virtual engagement platform featuring project information and an interactive comment map has been made available to encourage broader public participation.
Sam Gardner, Project Manager at Ameren, said community feedback is an important component of the routing process, helping the project team identify local opportunities and environmental or community sensitivities that will inform the final transmission line alignment.
The Lakeland Area Reliability Project forms part of Ameren’s broader efforts to modernise grid infrastructure and strengthen the reliability of electricity transmission networks to meet growing energy demand and improve service resilience across southern Illinois.
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