Siemens is backing $2.5b transmission project to carry Iowa wind energy to the eastern grid

German energy engineering firm Siemens and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners have signed on to a 2,100 MW transmission project to bring renewable generation from Iowa to Illinois, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The two companies have acquired the SOO Green Renewable Rail from its developer, Direct Connect Development Company, and for the project, Siemens will also supply the high-voltage DC equipment, Green Tech Media reports.

The project scheduled for completion by 2025 will use high-voltage DC cables buried underground on an existing railroad right-of-way,

The 349-mile route runs from Mason City, in Iowa wind country, to a substation in Plano, Illinois. It can ship wind power from Minnesota and the Dakotas, which connect to Iowa on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid. The link to Illinois brings the power into PJM territory, which includes the mid-Atlantic states.

While using underground lines increases construction costs, some believe that might be one of the only ways to get big transmission projects done in the U.S.

Source: Green tech Media