$8 Million for Illinois Transmission Improvement Projects

The ICC and IDNR were awarded $8.3 million dollars to improve the siting process for several long-range transmission planning projects in central and southern Illinois.

Last week, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) was awarded $8.3 million from the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Grid Deployment Office to improve the review process for several transmission projects running through the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) territory. High voltage transmission is a critical piece of America’s energy infrastructure that works to send power from where its generated, out to homes and buildings all over a region. The state of Illinois’ project was one of 20 selected from across 16 states as a part of the Transmission Siting and Economic Development grant program and will help to build out a more resilient and reliable power grid.

“America’s power grid was designed decades ago and isn’t fully up to speed with today’s modern energy demands and fuel sources. Investing in a more coordinated and efficient transmission permitting process will help to strengthen our existing grid infrastructure and keep power safe and easy to access for all Illinoisians,” said ICC Chairman Doug Scott.

"Modernizing our transmission permitting process will improve our power system's efficiency and reliability while cutting costs for consumers and creating the next generation of clean energy jobs," said Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13). "I'm glad to see more than $8 million coming to the Illinois Commerce Commission to bolster our electrical grid and improve our ability to incorporate public feedback."

The ICC’s winning project is intended to streamline the transmission line siting review and approval processes in Illinois; ensure better protection of natural resources and historical sites; and better incorporate community-identified needs into the transmission siting approval process. In partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the project will also digitize records and upgrade public-facing databases that house data on environmental and cultural resources along lines under review.

“This grant will enable IDNR to conduct surveys of endangered and threatened species and historic and culture resources, create conservation guidance, and assess species’ status,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “We are grateful for the opportunity to modernize lagging databases, processes, and workflows for vital cultural-resource reviews within the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office, which is part of IDNR.”

The improvements and the data collected will be used to inform siting review for future transmission projects, and lower the costs and time tied to project development and review.