Construction of new high-voltage transmission lines across central Illinois to enhance electricity delivery.
Central Illinois, August 14, 2025
Construction is set to start on a new high-voltage transmission line spanning 380 miles across 13 counties in central Illinois, with a project cost of $1.6 billion. Scheduled for phased completion by 2029, this infrastructure aims to improve energy delivery, reduce costs, and support economic growth in the region. The project includes new substations and upgrades to existing facilities, while adhering to environmental protocols mandated by state regulators. Local contractors will manage the construction, generating jobs and economic activity along the route.
Construction is scheduled to begin later this year on 380 miles of new and upgraded high-voltage transmission lines that will cross 13 counties in central Illinois. The project, with an estimated total cost of $1.6 billion, is planned for phased completion by 2029. State regulators have approved the proposed route, and the work is intended to widen energy delivery paths that serve millions of homes and businesses in the region.
The upgrades are meant to reduce supply costs by opening new pathways for electricity flow and by addressing bottlenecks identified in a regional long-range transmission plan. The effort aims to increase capacity, improve reliability, and support economic development by ensuring power availability for future business and residential growth across the Midwest. Project planners say the upgrades can help keep utility bills affordable by smoothing delivery and reducing the need for costly emergency measures on the grid.
The work will run from the Iowa border and weave across the counties of Adams, Brown, Champaign, Ford, Fulton, Hancock, Iroquois, McDonough, McLean, Morgan, Peoria, Pike, and Tazewell. Plans call for co-locating new lines along existing transmission corridors to keep the project footprint smaller and limit new land use. The route includes significant crossings of rail lines and major pipeline corridors, with more than 40 rail segments noted for careful coordination.
The project includes construction of three new substations and upgrades to several existing substations. Those substation changes, together with new transmission lines, will raise system capacity and improve access to varied energy resources across the service area. Work will be staged so sections of line and substation upgrades are energized over time through incremental construction phases leading to full completion in 2029.
The state commission has issued a certificate approving the route but placed conditions on the project to ensure environmental compliance and orderly project management. Required actions before work can begin in any county include filing quarterly updates on right-of-way negotiations and submitting a final wetland-mitigation plan. The certificate also sets rules for pollution controls, habitat protections, and other environmental protocols during construction.
Construction management will rely on local contractors, union crews, surveyors, and road monitors, with project leaders saying the work will generate jobs and economic activity in communities along the route. Contractors will be expected to coordinate with local governments and landowners to reduce disruptions to farms, roads, and daily life. Project planners emphasize that much of the build will follow existing corridors to avoid broad new land disturbances.
Public hearings raised concerns about land use, potential health impacts, and wetland effects. Regulators required the final wetland-mitigation plan and other environmental protections to be in place before county-level construction starts. Project managers maintain that the planned controls comply with state and federal rules and that co-locating lines limits additional habitat fragmentation.
The transmission upgrades are part of the regional grid operator’s long-range plan for 2024, which identifies bottlenecks and priority projects across the Midwest. Improving the corridor is intended to give grid operators more routing options, help integrate different generation sources, and reduce the likelihood of localized overloads or outages.
Project leaders have committed to securing all necessary permits and to providing public updates ahead of construction. Quarterly status reports on right-of-way talks are required by the commission, and construction will proceed in stages. Initial ground work and certain line builds are expected to begin later this year, with energization of sections continuing through several phases until final completion in 2029.
In short, this large-scale transmission project is intended to strengthen regional power delivery, create local jobs, and support future demand growth while following regulatory conditions meant to protect the environment and address public concerns. The work will be incremental, visible in multiple counties over several years, and subject to ongoing oversight and permit requirements.
A: Construction is set to begin later this year, with phased work and energization continuing through planned completion in 2029.
A: The project covers roughly 380 miles and is estimated to cost about $1.6 billion.
A: The route crosses 13 counties from the Iowa border across central Illinois, specifically Adams, Brown, Champaign, Ford, Fulton, Hancock, Iroquois, McDonough, McLean, Morgan, Peoria, Pike, and Tazewell.
A: Plans include three new substations and upgrades to several existing substations, along with new transmission lines mostly co-located in existing corridors.
A: Local contractors, union workers, surveyors, and road monitors will manage construction and related services, with oversight required by state regulators.
A: The commission requires a final wetland-mitigation plan and other environmental protections before work begins in any county, along with ongoing compliance with environmental rules during construction.
A: The project is subject to quarterly reporting on right-of-way negotiations and other required updates; project leaders have also pledged to provide regular public updates and to secure permits before construction starts in each county.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Length | Approximately 380 miles |
| Estimated cost | $1.6 billion |
| Counties affected | Adams, Brown, Champaign, Ford, Fulton, Hancock, Iroquois, McDonough, McLean, Morgan, Peoria, Pike, Tazewell |
| New substations | Three new substations plus upgrades to multiple existing sites |
| Timeline | Start later this year; phased completion by 2029 |
| Regulatory oversight | State certificate with environmental and reporting conditions; quarterly right-of-way reports required |
| Workforce | Local contractors, union crews, surveyors, and road monitors |
| Grid plan | Part of the regional 2024 long-range transmission plan to relieve bottlenecks |
| Environmental steps | Wetland mitigation plan required; other environmental protections mandated before county work |
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