CHAMPAIGN AND BONDVILLE, ILLINOIS — This project is part of Ameren Illinois' long-term initiative to modernize its energy delivery system and improve reliability.

Ameren Illinois have recently announced that they will begin construction on a $9.1-million new highly modernized substation. The new facility should enhance service reliability, flexibility, and load capacity of the local electric grid.

According to the company, the new substation will be designed with several goals in mind. such as reducing the physical footprint of the substation and reducing maintenance costs through remote equipment monitoring, which should reduce the need for in-person site visits. The new design would also minimise animal exposure by enclosing energised parts, protecting animals from harm and the grid from suffering outages. Finally, the power line source from Bondville to the southwest Champaign substation would be placed underground.

"Substations do not get a lot of fanfare but they are critical elements in a reliable, resilient energy grid," said Ron Juarez, Director of Eastern Region Electric Operations, Ameren Illinois. "Our southwest Champaign substation is a prototype that will serve as a design model for future substation construction throughout the Ameren Illinois service territory. When we place this substation into service next spring, we'll have the capability to re-route power from other substations in the area to reduce the duration of outages and meet demand for reliable energy from growing businesses in the Champaign region."

This project is part of Ameren Illinois' long-term initiative to modernize its energy delivery system and improve reliability.

Source: T&D World