Ameren Transmission Co. of Illinois has started construction of the 345-kV Mark Twain transmission line in Missouri that will improve service reliability and provide access to renewable energy sources.
The planned 96-mile transmission line will run from a switching station near Palmyra, Mo., through Marion, Lewis, Knox and Adair counties to a new substation near Kirksville, Mo. From there, the line will run through Adair and Schuyler counties to a connection point on the Iowa border, according to a May 23 news release.
The Ameren Corp. subsidiary received a certificate of convenience and necessity for the project in January. The line will be co-located on existing right of way on 161-kV transmission lines owned by Northeast Missouri Electric Power Cooperative and Ameren Missouri, known legally as Union Electric Co.
The $250 million Mark Twain transmission line is expected to enter service in 2019.
The development comes on the heels of Ameren Missouri's recent announcement that it agreed to acquire a 400-MW wind farm in Adair and Schuyler counties, Mo., as part of its plan to add at least 700 MW of new wind capacity by 2020. The wind project is enabled by the Mark Twain transmission line.
Ameren Transmission also broke ground on the site of the Zachary substation adjacent to the existing Adair substation in Adair County. "The new substation will transform high-voltage electricity from the transmission system to lower-voltage electricity, which it supplies to homes and businesses through distribution lines," the company said.
