7 years ago by Scott Hardy
Agreement hopes to revive Mark Twain Transmission Project
An Illinois company, that wants to build an electric transmission line through Northeast Missouri, says it's changing the route of the stalled project.
Ameren Transmission and the Northeast Missouri Electric Power Cooperative announced Monday in Palmyra that they've agreed to a plan designed to revive the Mark Twain Transmission Project. That's the 345 Kilovolt transmission line that would run through five northeast Missouri counties. They've announced that the line will run through the same counties, but change its' route by over 90%, using current high voltage lines already used by Northeast Power and Ameren Missouri. Under the new plan, according to a statement from State Senator Brian Munzlinger, (R-Williamstown), between 8 to 12 miles of new right of ways in Marion and Adair counties will be needed for sub-stations, while an estimated 55 miles of Northeast Power's transmission line between Palmyra and Kirksville will be completely rebuilt. Munzlinger and State Representatives Lindell Shumake and Craig Redmon all announced their support for the revised agreement during a press conference Monday.
The project's been stalled ever since a state Appeals Court ruled that the Missouri Public Service Commission erred in granting Ameren approval to build the line, before it got permission from the county commissions where the line would run. They've refused, and Ameren has sued all five counties to get permission. The new project will still need the approval of all five county commissions, and the PSC.
