Ameren Transmission Company is getting ready to study public opinion on its plan to construct a 345-thousand-volt transmission line from Peoria to Galesburg. The company held the last of its public open houses on the matter Thursday.
Ameren Transmission is trying to determine the best route for the project. About 500 property owners lie within the three proposed routes for the transmission line. Peggy Ladd is the Director of Stakeholder Relations at Ameren Transmission. She says hundreds of people have attended the public meetings.
"Sometimes we get general comments such as, 'I really don't want to look at this out my back door,' but other times we get specific comments like, 'Right now, you are going on the northern side of that road. If you go to the southern side of that road, there's not as many ravines, there's not as many trees or there's no homeowners down there.' That information is very good for us because we can actually look at specifics."
Ladd says public comment will also likely shape the final proposed route for the transmission line. She says the project will help Ameren Transmission deliver more renewable energy to customers as well as improve the reliability of the electric system.
The company will make route recommendations to the Illinois Commerce Commission this summer. The company hopes to get approval by next summer, with the transmission line scheduled to go into service by 2019. Area residents can still weigh in on the proposed routes at spoonrivertransmission.com.