Ameren Missouri is moving ahead with plans to build new high-voltage transmission lines connecting Union and Washington, part of a project the utility says will strengthen the power grid across a stretch of Franklin County that has grown steadily busier over the past decade and a half. The Franklin County Connector project calls for a new substation near College Road in southeastern Union, along with 138-kilovolt lines running east of Highway 47 toward the Villa Ridge area and beyond.
According to the Missourian, the project has been the result of more than 14 years of planning, with the project discussed publicly in 2016 and the final route expected to be determined in fall 2026. Ameren representatives met with state and county officials at East Central College to walk through the details, and the utility has scheduled two public open house meetings for Wednesday, Sept. 23, at the ECC Training Center, which will present the same routing information on different schedules so residents can attend whichever works for them.
A Substation Ameren Has Owned Since the 1990s
The new substation is planned on land Ameren Missouri already owns: more than 54 acres southeast of the intersection of Highway 47 and College Road, purchased by the utility in the early 1990s, per the Missourian's reporting. From there, new transmission lines will connect the project substation to the existing Franklin Substation near the intersection of Bieker and Clearview roads, and additional lines will run to the existing Gray Summit Substation off Old Highway 100.
Right-of-way requirements vary along the route. The project calls for 100 feet of right-of-way for lines between the Tibbe and Gray Summit substations, while the stretch between the Tibbe Substation and the Bieker Road substation needs a corridor between 100 and 125 feet wide, the outlet reports.
Fifteen Years of Planning Behind the Push
The roots of the project stretch back further than most residents might expect. Grid reliability studies first flagged the need for additional electric infrastructure in the Union and Franklin County corridor back in 2010, according to the Missourian, making the connector the product of over 15 years of utility engineering and planning. Project manager John Hitchcock has noted that local energy demands have grown continuously since those initial studies were conducted.
The project's local endpoints provide context. Union is the project's southern terminus and the county seat, while Washington is the connector's northern terminus and Franklin County's largest city.
No State Sign-Off Required Before Construction
Despite the scale of the buildout, the Franklin County Connector project does not require advance approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission, which retains oversight of the project.
Jeff Hasting, Ameren's Union-based regional account executive, told the Union Development Corp. board about the project, and Ameren spokesperson Evan Asher said it could serve existing customers while supporting business and population growth in Union. The project may also support data centers in the area.
Heavy Equipment Already Moving Into Place
Construction crews aren't waiting around. Ameren crews have prepared to set a 135,000-pound transformer at a substation site between Union and Washington, a sign of just how much infrastructure is headed for the corridor. The line rebuilds will accompany the project's new transmission infrastructure.
The Franklin County Connector is a local Ameren Missouri project. Locally, the project also sits close to other emerging energy developments — in September, developers sought Chapter 100 tax incentives for a proposed 20-megawatt, 97-acre solar farm between Union and Washington near Highway 47 and Clearview Road, as Hoodline previously reported. Ameren Missouri expects the Franklin County Connector to be completed and in service by winter 2029, with officials saying it will strengthen the energy grid for customers and communities throughout the area.
