ITC Midwest identified the Salem-Hazleton project as a priority after acquiring the region’s high-voltage electric transmission lines in December 2007. In April 2013, ITC Midwest energized the more than 80 miles of line, which extends from ITC Midwest’s Salem substation south of Dubuque, Iowa, to its Hazleton substation in Buchanan County.
As energy demand has grown over the years, certain areas of the Midwest have experienced energy bottlenecks caused by lack of electric transmission capacity. These bottlenecks hurt electric reliability and add costs to energy consumed in the region. ITC Midwest and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regional reliability organization first identified the need to address this energy reliability issue in a 2006 Eastern Iowa Reliability Study. Completing the Salem-Hazleton line provides a “reliability loop” of 345 kV lines in Eastern Iowa and helps ensure adequate electric transmission capacity to prevent system congestion in the area.
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