ComEd gets OK for new lines through Huntley
A state panel has backed the construction of new power lines through Huntley.
The Illinois Commerce Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to allow ComEd to build new transmission lines along Kreutzer Road starting in early 2011.
The project is the third phase of ComEd's effort to enhance the capacity and reliability of its electric grid in the Northwest suburbs.
"ComEd is pleased that the ICC has approved our proposal," ComEd spokesman Luis Diaz said. The project, Diaz said, will enable ComEd to meet the rising demand for power in southeast McHenry and northwest Kane counties.
The ruling was a loss for the village of Huntley, which fought ComEd's Kreutzer Road route for more than a year.
"Obviously, we're disappointed in the commission's decision," Huntley Village Manager Dave Johnson said. "We presented a strong case that there was (an alternate) route that was cost-efficient and impacted fewer homeowners."
Johnson said the village will consult its legal counsel and assess its options to appeal the decision.
Huntley supported a route that would have placed the transmission lines along Galligan and Freeman roads in Gilberts - a route the village of Gilberts opposed.
In their testimony to the commerce commission, Gilberts officials argued the transmissions lines would affect homeowners in the planned Conservancy subdivision and students in the nearby Gilberts Elementary School.
"That's great news for us. Everybody made their best pitch, and I'm glad it turned out the way it did," Gilberts Mayor Tom Wajda said. "If it came down to the Galligan-Freeman route - it would have had a big impact on us."
Property owners and businesses along the route through Huntley fought ComEd's plans, saying the transmission lines would be unsightly and undermine property values.
"We're very disappointed. That's about all we can say about it," said Frances Kreutzer, whose family has owned and lived on the land along Kreutzer Road for generations. "We did everything to prove our case, but it went against us."