Cape County commissioners hear proposal on Limestone Ridge Project

The proposed new electricity transmission line connecting Cape Girardeau and Perry counties is on track to begin service by the end of 2023, county commissioners were told Monday.

Cape Girardeau County commissioners heard a presentation by Ameren Transmission representatives about the proposed Limestone Ridge Project.

Ameren Transmission, in collaboration with the Wabash Valley Power Alliance and Citizens Electric Corp., is proposing a new, approximately 15-mile, 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that will connect two new substations in Cape Girardeau and Perry counties. The project also proposes expansion and modifications to two existing substations owned by Wabash Valley and maintained and operated by Citizens Electric. Ameren Transmission hopes to have the project in service by December 2023.

“The reason we’re doing it, the project need, is to improve energy reliability for local-owned businesses, provide additional energy support to local manufacturing facilities and also a good, strong transmission system does help with economic growth,” said Jim Jontry,Ameren’s Limestone Ridge Project senior project manager.

Ameren plans to use 100- to 160-foot-tall, 138kV galvanized steel monopole structures that have the potential of running a 345kV circuit in the future. Each monopole spans 800 to 1,000 feet and would require six to seven structures per mile.

“In agricultural areas, pastures, things like that, they seem to work pretty well,” Jontry said. “Farmers can farm right up to the bases, basically.”

Ameren Transmission finished taking open comments Feb. 1 for the project’s preferred route options.

“Where we’re at right now is just trying to figure out what is the final route to propose, and then we’ll take that final route through Missouri Public Service Commission and go through the case with them to receive an approval,” Jontry said. “After that, we would be back, acquiring right-of-way. Construction would be a couple years out, but, again, in-service day being end of 2023.”

When asked by commissioners about possible impacts on customers’ rates, Eric Dearmont, Ameren Transmission’s director of regulatory affairs, didn’t have an answer but said he doesn’t believe there will be a major increase.

“I mean, the good thing and the bad thing, depending on how you look at it, is the cost of the project’s going to be shared across the whole Ameren pricing zone,” Dearmont said. “So it won’t be felt locally, if you will.”

For more information about the project, visit www.ameren.com/missouri/company/limestoneridgeproject.

Other business

• Approved spending $49,000 toward a Federal Recreational Trails Program grant to go toward a trail around the Cape County Park South lake.
• Approved spending $50,903.31 from the county Parks Department budget to purchase a new tractor.
• Approved the county’s 2020 financial statement.
• Approved the county’s 2020 budget adjustments.
• Appointed Scott Wren as deputy coroner.