The Lakeland Area Reliability Project will improve energy reliability for local communities and the surrounding region, improve resiliency to minimize power limitations and impacts to local communities, and support long-term economic growth in the region. Our goal is to have these facilities in service and benefiting the community in December 2028.
Reliability
Resiliency
Economic Growth
Please Join Us
We will hold three rounds of in-person and virtual public open houses to introduce the study area, potential routes, and the project needs and benefits. During the in-person open houses, subject matter experts from different departments at Ameren (such as engineering, real estate, and environmental) will be available to answer questions about the Project and collect public feedback. This feedback will be carefully considered by our project team as we evaluate potential routes.
The first round of open houses were held on July 14 to present the Project’s Potential Route Segments.
The second round of open houses to present Preliminary Route Alternatives will be held on September 1, 2026 at the Benton Civic Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Both sessions will include the same information with no formal presentation. Input collected during these open houses will be factored into identifying Preferred Route Alternatives in the study area. A virtual open house slide deck will be available for viewing, August 31-September 15, 2026. The final round of open houses are planned for October 2026.
In Person
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Benton Civic Center
414 W. Hudelson Street
Benton, IL 62812
Virtual
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We have a designated Project hotline and email address the public can use to get in touch with members of our Project team. Have a question? Please contact us using one of the methods below.
Phone: 833.478.7733
Email: LakelandAreaReliability@etc-online.com
Mail: Ameren Transmission Attn: Lakeland Area Reliability Project 2610 Broadway Street Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
Developing a transmission route is a phased process that involves collaboration with agencies, community members and landowners to collect information that helps our team understand and identify opportunities and sensitivities within the Franklin County Project area.
Our team started by using data from publicly available data sources to create our Study Area. We considered existing utility corridors, existing land use, resource areas, natural environment data and field survey data to help minimize impacts while providing feasible route opportunities.
Open House Round 1
Next, our team used data collected from stakeholders and federal, state and local agencies, as well as the four categories of routing criteria – Opportunities, Sensitivities, Technical Guidelines, and Statutory Requirements – to develop potential Route Segments that were shared with the public during our first open house.
Open House Round 2
Our team then develops Preliminary Route Alternatives using the routing criteria, as well as input received from stakeholders and community members, during our first round of public engagement. We will share those routes with the public during our second open house.
Open House Round 3
Using routing criteria and comments collected from the community during the second round of open houses, our team will narrow down the number of Preliminary Route Alternatives and identify Preferred Route Alternatives. We will share these routes during our third open house.
File CPCN Application with ICC
After we collect data and input on the Preferred Route Alternatives, our team will select a “Primary Route” and an “Alternate Route” to present in the application to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN).