04/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/21/2026 06:26
LaSalle County residents have more reliable energy grid after completion of transmission line project
Key Takeaways:
OTTAWA, Ill. (April 21, 2026) - LaSalle County communities have a more reliable and resilient energy grid due to the recent completion of the LaSalle Link Project, a new, 11-mile, high voltage transmission line stretching from Oglesby, Illinois, to North Utica, Illinois.
The work created a stronger local energy grid by providing additional pathways for energy to flow into the region. That helps to minimize the impact of power outages on local communities and supports the expansion needed for continued growth in the area. Ameren also upgraded aging substations as part of the project to support current and future energy needs.
"The LaSalle Link Project will help us deliver the energy that customers are counting on - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - in both good and bad weather conditions. We are strengthening the grid now, before storms hit, which also speeds up the recovery process after they hit," said Patrick Smith Sr., president of Ameren Illinois. "We completed this project ahead of schedule and under budget by implementing a cost-effective plan committed to customer value."
The project team gathered public feedback and comments through an in-person and virtual open house process before eventually receiving a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) and final route from the Illinois Commerce Commission in August 2023.
Ameren Illinois prioritized the use of Illinois-based union electric workers during construction of the 11-mile, 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting the existing Corbin substation in Oglesby to an existing substation near North Utica. Starting near the substation in Oglesby, the transmission line runs north, parallel to Interstate 39, before turning east to run parallel alongside Interstate 80 and then terminating at the North Utica substation.
"Thank you to all the landowners, officials and community members who shared their input with us during the routing development. We always appreciate the opportunity to engage with the community and understand their thoughts because we really design these projects to benefit them," said Julie Youngren, project manager for the LaSalle Link Project. "Keeping the construction jobs here at home was one more way to be a good community partner."
Additional information is available on the project's website at LaSalleLinkProject.com.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and more than 800,000 natural gas customers throughout central and southern Illinois. Our service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles and our mission is to power the quality of life. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com. Follow us at @AmerenIllinois or Facebook.com/AmerenIllinois.