MT. VERNON – Ameren Transmission is looking to improve energy reliability in the region and is hosting two in-person public open houses this week in Jefferson and Wayne counties to gather additional public input.
The first open house is set for 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 21, at the Fairfield Elks Lodge, located at 201 SE 2nd St. in Fairfield. The second open house will take place from 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday at the Rolland Lewis Community Building, located at 800 S. 27th St. in Mt. Vernon. Community members previously provided an initial round of input in April. More details are available at Ameren.com/MTVAreaProject.
Ameren Illinois Company (AIC) and Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI) are proposing the Mt. Vernon Area Reliability Project to address the needs of customers in Jefferson and Wayne counties and the surrounding region. The Mt. Vernon Area Reliability Project is the first proposed project in a larger portfolio of energy projects called the South-Central Illinois Transmission Expansion (SCITE) Program. The SCITE Program is being jointly developed by Ameren Transmission and regional member cooperatives and will provide significant reliability benefits for regional energy grids and customers across the southern portion of Illinois.
As the first project under the SCITE Program, the Mt. Vernon Area Reliability Project includes two phases. Phase 1 includes construction of an approximately 5 mile 138 kV transmission line from AIC’s existing Mt. Vernon 42nd Street substation to the proposed Reifen substation located east of Mt. Vernon in Jefferson County. The goal is to have these facilities in service in December 2025.
Phase 2 includes the construction of the 138 kV transmission line approximately 30 miles from the proposed Reifen substation to another proposed substation, named Kays, located near Fairfield in Wayne County. The goal is to have these facilities in service in December 2026.
During each open house, the Mt. Vernon Area Reliability Project team will include project overview information and an opportunity to provide input on the route segments. All open houses will include the same information with no formal presentation. There will also be a self-paced, virtual engagement and comment map available June 20 through July 7.
“Gathering community feedback is an important part of our planning and routing process,” said Jim Jontry, project manager for the Mt. Vernon Area Reliability Project. “We hope interested members of the public will join us during these open houses to learn more about the project and share their feedback so we can make sure we are taking into account any needs and concerns from the community.”
Additional information is available on the project’s website at Ameren.com/MTVAreaProject, by sending an email to info@MTVAreaProject.com, or by calling the project hotline at 833-478-7733.