MISO picks Ameren, GridLiance, Dairyland for $1.23B Iowa grid project

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) has selected a consortium of Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE); GridLiance Heartland, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Transmission, LLC; and Dairyland Power Cooperative to develop, build, operate and maintain a major transmission project in Iowa.

The East Adair – Minnesota/Iowa State Line – Arbor Hill – York Avenue (EASL) project carries an estimated cost of approximately $1.23 billion. ATXI and GridLiance will each hold a 42.5% ownership stake, while Dairyland will hold the remaining 15% once the project is placed in service.

MISO selected the consortium through a competitive process, citing the proposal's design, execution capabilities, regulatory experience and other factors.

The EASL project includes the construction of one new 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line spanning approximately 187 miles, one 345/765-kV substation named East Adair, and two new 345-kV transmission lines spanning approximately 22 miles in total. The 765-kV line will run north from the new East Adair Substation in southern Iowa to the Minnesota/Iowa state line.

The project is part of MISO's Long Range Transmission Planning Tranche 2.1 Portfolio, which was approved in December 2024. The 345-kV scope has an expected in-service date of June 1, 2032, while the 765-kV scope is expected to be in service by June 1, 2034. The project will undergo regulatory review and stakeholder and community engagement.

The same consortium, along with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, was selected earlier this year to deliver two additional Tranche 2.1 projects in Illinois — the STIW and WIIL transmission projects.

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