BARTONVILLE, Ill. – Ameren is in the early stages of planning for what could be major upgrades to its portion of the electrical grid, and they need your help.
They’re holding a series of open houses to get public feedback on the plan to add circuits and transmission lines to the grid that they say will make it more resilient, increase transmission capacity, and keep from outages.
“It’s useful to think of this in terms of a road,” said Drew Beahm, Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois Project Manager. “Sometimes new roads need to be built. Existing roads need to be expanded. And, in some cases, old roads need to be retired.
Beahm says the project wouldn’t begin until 2026 and end in 2030, but he says plans should hold up once they meet all the regulatory hurdles.
“Over the past several decades, and we expect for decades to come, the way that we generate energy in this country, and in this region, continues to change,” said Beahm. “What we are doing at Ameren Transmission is responding to this change, and anticipating this change, over the next several decades.”
But, if your major concern is “don’t raise my bill” in order to do the work…
“According to our analysis, when this program is put into service in 2030, Ameren residential customers can expect an increase of about 30 cents per month,” said Beahm.
Beahm says the other big concern is that residents don’t want new power lines going through their backyard. He says 85 percent will be done on equipment the utility already owns and uses.
Ameren held an open house Tuesday morning at the Bartonville American Legion to seek public feedback. Another will be held there Tuesday night from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Open houses will also be held Wednesday at the Morton Knights of Columbus Hall, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the project. You can also call 1-800-707-0803, or e-mail feedback to connect@AmerenGridIL.com.
