TERRE HAUTE —
By mid-September, Ameren Transmission Co. plans to reveal a proposed route, along with at least one alternative route, for a high-voltage electricity transmission line that will span 330 miles and connect near Terre Haute.
Ameren, a Missouri-based power company, concluded public open houses Tuesday on the project known as the Illinois Rivers transmission line, a 345,000-volt line that would run from Palmyra, Mo., to just west of Terre Haute. Open houses were held last week in Edgar and Clark counties in Illinois.
Ameren will conduct more open houses in September, before filing for the transmission line in November with the Illinois Commerce Commission, which is expected to issue a final order no later than July 2013, said Ameren Transmission spokesman Leigh Morris.
The project is estimated to cost $890 million to $1.4 billion, Morris said.
If approved, construction of the transmission line through Illinois to Indiana is scheduled to be completed in 2016. The project is part of MISO, a regional planning organization for the power grid in the Midwest.
The entire transmission line to the East Coast is slated to be finished and operational in late 2019, Morris said.
The line could tie into Indiana west of Terre Haute at the Sugar Creek Substation, jointly owned by Duke Energy and Northern Indiana Public Service Co., said Duke Energy spokeswoman Angeline Protogere.
“The section of this [Ameren] project in Indiana is only one mile,” Protogere said. After that, Duke Energy would construct a transmission line across Indiana, she said.
“Until we know exactly where it will cross the border between Illinois and Indiana, our line planning won’t begin,” Protogere said.
MISO members would share the cost to establish the transmission line, Protogere said.
In addition to approval from Illinois regulators, Ameren “is still a long way from construction. We have 330 miles of easements to secure. There will probably be something in the vicinity of 1,500 landowners, and we will have to negotiate with all of them to secure a right-of-way that is 150 feet wide,” Morris said.
The easements would exclude any construction or planting of trees, he added.
“It is a big project … and the largest single transmission project ever in the state of Illinois,” where the majority of the transmission line will traverse west to east, Morris said.
The high-voltage transmission line would be supported by single-shaft steel poles, ranging from 80 to 140 feet tall, with spans between the poles expected to be 700 to 1,000 feet, Morris said.
The need for the transmission line is a result of a study from MISO, Morris said, which determined the need for the transmission of 41 million megawatt hours of power from wind turbines in the Dakotas, Iowa and Minnesota through Illinois and Indiana. To put that into prospective, the electrical output is equal to 10 standard electric power-generating plants, Morris added.
“A typical wind turbine produces 1.5 to 2 megawatts, sometimes 2.5 megawatts of power. It takes a lot of wind turbines to come up with that much electricity,” Morris said.
Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached
at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger @tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Electric transmission line being built to Terre Haute
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Storm causes scattered Indiana power outages
INDIANAPOLIS — A line of thunderstorms that moved across Indiana caused scattered building damage and power outages for several thousand homes and businesses.
-
Kindergartner diagnosed with MD treated to a day with the fire department
“He’ll just never forget this day,” Stacey Manley said, a little bit tearfully, as she watched her smiling 6-year-old son Carter sitting happily in the captain’s seat of Fire Engine 2.
-
Casey, Illinois aims for another world record
The town of Casey, Ill., may soon weave its way into the record books as the small town with the most world records. After setting records for the world’s largest wind chimes and the world’s largest golf tee, Casey is now looking to become home to the world’s largest knitting needles and crochet hook.
-
Rose-Hulman projects will promote growth, learning for people with physical challenges
Life changed dramatically for college engineering student Drew Christy on Feb. 22, 2008 when he was involved in an auto accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
-
‘500’ gas stations being sold to Speedway LLC
After several decades in business, the area’s familiar “500” gasoline stations and convenience stores will soon be missing from the roadsides of Vigo and Sullivan counties.
-
Terre Haute woman faces 14 charges
A Terre Haute woman faces 14 criminal counts after her arrest Friday on drug-related charges.
-
Two adults injured in ATV accident
Two adults were injured Sunday evening while riding an all-terrain vehicle near Lexington Farms Subdivision off Moyer Drive in southern Vigo County.
-
Vigo schools’ medical claims down more than $10M
The Vigo County School Corp.’s medical claims were about $13 million over the last 12 months, down 4 percent from the prior year, said Diane Titchenell, an Anthem account manager that works with the school district.
-
2013 Government Directory now available
The 2013 Government Directory is now available.
-
UPDATE: 5 killed, 6 injured in I-70 van crash in Illinois
ST. LOUIS — A van carrying church members returning from a California gathering careened off of a southern Illinois freeway and overturned several times today, killing five people and sending six others to hospitals, authorities said.
-
2 children reported dead from Indianapolis fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities say some autistic children lived in the Indianapolis condominium unit where a fire has killed two children.
-
Tighter Indiana drunken driving law seems unlikely
INDIANAPOLIS — Some key Indiana legislators say it’s unlikely that the state will any time soon go along with a federal safety board’s recommendation that the threshold for drunken driving be cut nearly in half.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 20, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, based on jail records.
-
Life-Size Ping Pong: Valley pickleball tourney draws large crowd to Brittlebank Park
It’s been described as “ping pong on steroids.”
Some people call it “life-size ping pong where you stand on the table.” -
Boat trip aims to raise awareness about Lewy Body Dementia
In 2013, the Year of the River, it makes sense to link a grand adventure on the Wabash River with a good cause.
-
Legislature had little taste for alcohol bills
When it comes to alcohol, the 2013 legislative session may be marked more by what it didn’t do to boost booze sales than what it did.
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Is it regulation that doesn’t make sense or evening the playing field?
I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t spent much time thinking about how Indiana’s alcohol laws personally impact me, but that changed last fall when my daughter got married.
-
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: April 29-May 3
The Vigo County Health Department inspected the following food establishments April 29-May 3:
-
For Piper: Annual ‘Rush the Punter’ event dedicated to Dixie Bee student who died Wednesday after a short illness
Steve Weatherford’s “Rush the Punter” fundraiser at Fairbanks Park on Saturday was dedicated to a little girl who lost her life unexpectedly to pneumonia.
-
Vigo schools prepare to tighten belts
State funding for the Vigo County School Corp. will remain “pretty flat” for the next two years, said Donna Wilson, chief financial officer.
-
Veterans take to the trees
Cristal Bednar took photos of her husband, Justin, as he laboriously climbed his way up a “Dangle-Duo” to get to a zipline at Indiana State University’s Sycamore Outdoor Center.
-
Property owner seeks halt to Hulman Lake dam project
A Terre Haute property owner is seeking an injunction that would at least temporarily halt the city’s work on the Hulman Lake dam project.
-
Tornado veterans balance preparedness, practicality
Few things in nature are less predictable than a tornado. They can form quickly. They strike weirdly, leveling one building while leaving its neighbor untouched. They can fling a car a half-mile and turn a piece of lumber into a wall-piercing missile.
-
ISU unveils interactive Bayh Family Legacy Wall at school
A who’s who of Indiana Democrats paid tribute to Evan Bayh and several generations of the Bayh family Friday during a dedication of a new interactive display at Indiana State University.
-
Can you smell me now?
A contraband cell phone has been discovered by the Vigo County Jail’s youngest and most unique officer.
-
GIVING BACK: Steve Weatherford buys shoes for kids day before charity run
Terre Haute’s Steve Weatherford, punter for the 2012 Super Bowl champion New York Giants, showed once again his generosity Friday by donating new athletic shoes to more than two dozen Vigo County kids.
-
N.Y. Giants honor Weatherford as ‘Man of the Year’
Dan Tanoos, superintendent of Vigo County schools, remembers the first time he saw Steve Weatherford as a freshman at Terre Haute North Vigo High School.
-
Sunday recital at The Woods
A recital featuring songs from well-known composers is at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
-
Police investigating rash of car window shootings
Terre Haute Police are investigating a rash of shootings that have shattered car windows throughout the city.
-
City hospitals get passing grades for patient safety
Two Terre Haute hospitals have been ranked for patient safety by an independent organization that assesses safety, quality and affordability of healthcare for Americans.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Storm causes scattered Indiana power outages
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Suspects Butt Dial 911, Lead to Arrest
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Huge Tornado Kills Dozens Near Oklahoma City
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Active Search for Utah Missing Mom Ends
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
IWitness Look at Moore, OK Tornado
Trailer: 'The Last Stand' Available on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Download
Pickler's Dance Moves Cause A Stir
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Sneak Peek: 'Modern Family' Says Good Bye
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
Justin Bieber Gets Booed
New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos
Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction
Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom
Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip
Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards
Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt
