NEW WIRES FOR MIDWEST WIND

Proposal would route 500-mile wind energy line near Q-C
Jennifer DeWitt, May 8, 2011 (Quad-City Times)

"A lack of transmission capabilities is slowing the growth of wind energy projects in Iowa and Illinois…Clean Line Energy Partners, an independent developer of transmission lines, is working to build four different transmission projects around the country — including one that will cross Iowa and Illinois…Rock Island Clean Line LLC…is a 500-mile long overhead, high voltage direct current transmission line…

"The line will deliver up to 3,500 megawatts of clean power from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota to communities and businesses in Illinois and other states to the east…enough energy to power the equivalent of 1.4 million homes…Hans Detweiler, the company’s development director, said Rock Island Clean Line is a $1.7 billion project that will help leverage another $7 billion in investment in wind energy projects across the Midwest…"

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"Clean Line has spent the past year identifying a possible corridor for the transmission line, meeting with local governments, federal authorities, agricultural and other interest groups, and stakeholders…The proposed corridor begins in western Iowa…and traverse[s] across Iowa to… southwest of Chicago…[T]he corridor varies from 3 to 10 miles wide in different locations. But once a final route is chosen, it would only be 150 to 200 feet wide.

"The company would purchase easements for the transmission line, but it has yet to work out those details. The construction is expected to create more than 5,000 construction jobs…Developers expect the project to take five to seven years to complete, with construction expected to begin in 2014 and ending in 2016…Over the next year, it will begin the approval process for routing the line with the ICC and IUB."

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"Clean Line Energy president Michael Skelly said the company is working closely with local governmental officials, county staff, federal agencies, conservation and other interest groups to site the long-haul transmission project..[T]he new project could help attract manufacturers of wind turbine components to the region…

"Wind has been one of the region’s target industries for the past couple years because of the area’s proximity to the wind producers and its transportation strengths — from interstate to rail and the river…In addition to the future development it could spur, Detweiler said the project also is expected to create millions of dollars in state and local tax revenues…"