The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has approved ComEd’s plan to construct a new transmission line in DeKalb County. The project is intended to reinforce transmission system reliability, accommodate growing electricity demand in the region and support future connections for customers and other facilities.

The ICC issued ComEd a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), which authorizes a public utility to construct certain major infrastructure projects following a public review process that evaluates whether a project is needed, appropriately designed and in the public interest.

“We are pleased that the ICC recognized our commitment to seeking input from local governments, landowners and stakeholders and that their views are represented in the proposed routes for the KARE Project,” said David Perez, ComEd’s executive vice president and COO. “KARE represents the least cost and best fit approach to meeting the growing demand for electricity in the area. It will also help support Illinois’ clean energy transition by providing the potential to accommodate the interconnection of renewable energy resources.”

The Kishwaukee Area Reliability Extension (KARE) Project will be constructed south of the city of DeKalb. The project includes a double-circuit 345-kilovolt (kV) overhead transmission line extending approximately 6 miles on existing right-of-way, as well as a new 345-kV and 138-kV substation.

An existing ComEd transmission line will be extended to connect with the new substation near the intersection of Keslinger Road and Crego Road in Afton Township. The project is intended to provide additional transmission capacity for future customers, businesses and other facilities as electricity demand increases.

As part of the project development process, ComEd held public meetings and met with local landowners to answer questions about the project and proposed routing options. The project was also shared with DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes and representatives of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation.

“We are pleased to see the KARE Project move forward," said Mayor Barnes. "The DeKalb region’s economic growth is placing new demands on all forms of infrastructure, including the electrical grid, and this plan will help meet current and future energy requirements of businesses and residential customers who have come to expect reliable service from ComEd in the face of more frequent and severe storms.”

ComEd partnered with Burns & McDonnell to conduct the routing study for the KARE Project. Data was collected across a 23-square-mile area to develop route alternatives and assess existing conditions, as well as natural and cultural resources within the study area. The proposed routing options were designed to minimize impacts on the land and surrounding community.

The KARE Project is the first ComEd transmission line requiring ICC siting approval since the Grand Prairie Gateway, which went into service in 2017 and extends for 60 miles across Ogle, DeKalb, Kane and DuPage counties.