Residents and businesses in Lincoln and Logan County in Illinois are benefiting from more reliable energy thanks to a recently completed 13.5km high-voltage transmission line and smart grid technology.

The Logan County Connector Project is improving system reliability while opening a pathway for electricity and increasing transmission capacity to meet growth needs in downstate Illinois.

“The Logan County Connector Project is another great example of the trusted local utility completing a critical infrastructure project on time, using Illinois-based consultants, contractors, suppliers and labour,” said Shawn Schukar, president of Ameren Transmission. “We are efficiently and effectively investing in the grid of the future.”

Dustin Walker, Decatur-based operations manager for LE Myers, added: “This multi-year team effort is not only bolstering the grid but also strengthening our communities by employing local contractors, including my company. We consider it a privilege to partner with Ameren on projects that make life better for the residents and businesses in our own backyard because we are invested in downstate Illinois for the long haul.”

The new transmission line makes the energy grid more resilient, reducing the outage risk for thousands of customers in and around Logan County.

“Prior to this project, there was only one pathway of energy into the city of Lincoln,” said Suzanne Pohlmann, project manager at Ameren Transmission. “Now we have a new superhighway for energy to flow into an existing substation on the opposite side of the city.”

Crews completed the Logan County Connector Project in December 2023. Land restoration efforts will continue into spring 2024.

“We are proud to partner with Ameren on this energy infrastructure project that our neighbours and families will count on for decades to come,” said David Clayton, project manager at Burns & McDonnell. “This project is an excellent example of how partnerships with local contractors and labour come together to deliver transmission projects on time and in budget.”

Learn more at the Logan County Connector Project at: www.ameren.com/illinois/company/logan-county-connector.

Ameren Illinois (AmerenIllinois.com) delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers in Illinois. Its service territory covers more than 1200 communities and 110,000 square kilometres.