GALESBURG — In December, Ameren Illinois will begin reaching out to landowners affected by its new transmission line that will run from Galesburg to Peoria.
Ameren received approval for the Spoon River Transmission Project in September from the Illinois Commerce Commission and now has to work with landowners to acquire their land for power lines.
“In early December, the landowners should expect to receive a letter from ATXI (Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois),” Spoon River Transmission Project Manager Lucas Klein said.
This letter will let them know they own property on the route approved by the ICC. The new line will affect about 85 landowners in Knox County, Ameren spokesman Joe Muehlenkamp said.
“At least 14 days after the letter, real estate agents will start contacting those landowners and requesting easements, and at that time, we would make an offer,” Klein said.
An easement is a contract that allows Ameren to cross people’s property. For this project, the easements will be 150 feet wide.
The new transmission line will begin at the Sandburg Substation near the intersection of Knox Highway 40 and Knox Highway 9. It will then run east for about 1.5 miles before turning southeast toward Interstate 74. It then heads straight east toward Princeville, and then south toward the Fargo Substation just west of Peoria.
Once landowners are given an offer for their land from Ameren, they will then begin negotiating with Ameren.
Landowners can then reach an agreement with Ameren, and if they don’t, Ameren can go back to the ICC to request eminent domain authority, which if approved, gives Ameren the right to the land.
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If you think you may be affected by the Illinois Rivers Project and/or are interested in a free consultation, contact our eminent domain landowner attorneys at 1-888-318-3761 or visit us on the web at www.landownerattorneys.com.