Clean Line Energy plans Oklahoma open houses on transmission project

The company's Plains and Eastern Clean Line project will take electricity from planned wind farms in the Panhandle to utility customers in Tennessee using a high-voltage, direct-current transmission line. The 750-mile line is expected to be in service by 2017. The company said it is holding the open houses to gather feedback and answer questions about the project and the proposed route of the transmission line.

The route hasn't been finalized, but it will come from the Panhandle, cross north central Oklahoma and go toward Sallisaw in the east. The line will continue through Arkansas and end near Memphis, Tenn.

Clean Line has identified a network of potential routes based on its discussions with community leaders, landowners, government agencies and conservation groups. It's also been studying environmental and engineering data collected in the last two years.

Plains and Eastern Clean Line already has agreements with Claremore-based Pelco Structural LLC to manufacture the monopoles for the transmission lines. About half of the $2 billion project investment will be in Oklahoma.

Meetings were held earlier this week in Guymon, Beaver, Woodward, Fairview and Enid.

For more information on the open houses, call toll-free (855) 420-0607.