Ameren Illinois hosts second round of open houses for public input on Knox County Connector Project

Updated route options available for review after first series of stakeholder meetings

PEORIA, Ill. (Sept. 9, 2024) - Ameren Illinois is working to build a more reliable and resilient energy grid and is hosting a second round of public open houses this week to gather additional input from local stakeholders.

The open house sessions are set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the 156 East event center, 156 East Main Street, Galesburg.

Community members previously provided an initial round of input in August. Using the stakeholder feedback along with routing criteria, the project team developed more defined routes, which will be available for review at the open house sessions. The same information is also available at Ameren.com/KnoxCounty.

The Knox County Connector Project proposes the rebuilding of approximately 10 miles of transmission line from the existing Sandburg substation to a collector substation near Oneida. A vast majority of the project will be rebuilt along existing corridors and co-located with existing Ameren Illinois facilities. The project will strengthen the energy grid by creating additional pathways of energy and improving reliability. Upgrading and investing in the energy delivery system benefits the entire community.

During each open house, the Knox County Connector 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 online from Sept. 9-20.

"We collected valuable feedback in our first round of open house sessions and we are utilizing that information in our planning and routing process," said Suzanne Pohlman, project manager for the Knox County Connector Project. "We encourage members of the public to join us to learn more about the project, ask questions and share their feedback so we can take into account any needs from the community."

The project is scheduled to be in service by 2026. Additional information is available on the project's website at Ameren.com/KnoxCounty, by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling the project hotline at 833.478.7733.

About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers in Illinois. Our mission is to power the quality of life. Our service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com, find us on X or Facebook.