Clean Line Energy Partners has released a little more information about where it intends to build a $250 million wind energy converter station


Clean Line Energy Partners has released a little more information about where it intends to build a $250 million wind energy converter station.

 

August 20, 2012

 

Company officials still are not identifying an exact location, but Rock Island Clean Line project development manager Cary Kottler confirmed this week, it would be located in Center Township in O’Brien County.

Center Township is in north central O’Brien County. The township includes Primghar in its far southwest corner and extends north to Highway 18. The township lines extend from one mile east of Sanborn to one mile west of Hartley.

The Houston-based energy company announced its intentions to build the converter station in O’Brien County in January but declined to identify any details about the location.

The converter station, which changes alternating currents to direct currents, is central in Clean Line’s efforts to build a 500-mile overhead, high-voltage direct current transmission line from N’West Iowa to the power grid near Morris, IL. The station creates the possibility for about 2,000 wind turbines to be constructed within a 100-mile radius of O’Brien County.

Clean Line has secured options on two parcels of land in Center Township and will spend the next couple of months conducting feasibility, engineering and environmental studies on the land.

"We’re thrilled to have these options in place," Kottler said. "We have the right to acquire them at some point in the future."

Clean Line is working together with Siemens to develop, design and implement the converter station. The converter station needs 60 acres for the footprint of the station to be built, but the land parcels are slightly larger for access.

Both parcels are in close proximity to each other.

Kottler said the project will look similar to a typical substation.

"It has switch yards and filter banks. It also has an indoor component to it which may look like a big barn," he said

There also may be a small office or control room on the grounds.

Kottler said if route approvals are received by 2014, the land would be optioned at the end of 2014 with construction starting soon thereafter. He estimates it will take several months to complete the construction.

"It’s very big for O’Brien County," said O’Brien County economic development director Kiana Johnson. "They’re going to establish more transmission capabilities so all those wind companies that have been in the area for the last 10 years, with the new transmission capabilities, those projects can move forward. It’s a big impact for us."

The Rock Island Clean Line is bringing a renewed interest in wind energy to the area.

"People were starting to lose hope and confidence that these projects were ever going to go," Johnson said. "All we could say is that there was no transmission capabilities to allow those companies to build. It’ll be huge for O’Brien County and all of northwest Iowa."

 


TIMELINE:

2012: Filing the portion of the Illinois route from Morris to the Mississippi River with the Illinois Commerce Commission.

2013: Filing the Davenport-to-O’Brien County route for approval with the Iowa Utilities Board.

2014: Review and anticipated approval from the Iowa Utilities Board; construction begins on converter station and route.

2015-16: Construction continues.

2017: Anticipated construction completed and startup of the Rock Island Clean Line.



DAN BREEN

Staff Writer

The N'West Iowa REVIEW