Elgin homeowners are voicing concerns over the installation of high-voltage power lines by ComEd. The $250 million dollar Grand Prairie Gateway Project would extend power lines along a 60-mile stretch, crossing Kane, DeKalb and Ogle counties.
The Illinois Commerce Commission is expected to make a decision about the plan this summer.
As the Daily Herald reports, hundreds of steel towers, reaching about 160 feet high, will be needed.
Daily Herald: Elgin Residents Fight ComEd's Plans
At a hearing over the weekend organized by several state lawmakers, several Elgin homeowner groups said aboveground power lines will lower property values, and might have negative environmental consequences. The newspaper reports the Elgin City Council wants to reroute the project, or install underground lines instead.
The newspaper cites a spokesman for ComEd who said there are no underground high-voltage power lines in Chicago's suburbs.
The spokesman says switching to underground lines would increase the project's price tag by five to 15 times.
The project is designed to relieve congestion within the power system.
