About Us
About Us
Republic Transmission, LLC (Republic Transmission) is an electric transmission utility company, with the mission to ensure reliable and cost-effective electric transmission in the MISO region. Republic Transmission, LLC is a subsidiary of LS Power, a power generation, transmission, and investment group.
Founded in 2008, Republic Transmission was selected in 2016 through a competitive solicitation to develop the Duff to Coleman Project, a high-voltage transmission line from Dubois County, Indiana, to Hancock County, Kentucky.
To execute the Duff to Coleman Project, Republic Transmission collaborated with its parents, LS Power and Hoosier Energy, as well as Big Rivers Electric Corporation, another local utility. With the managerial, technical, and financial capabilities of the majority parent company, LS Power, and the local knowledge and experience of Hoosier and Big Rivers, Republic Transmission completed the Duff to Coleman Project on schedule and within guaranteed cost-containment provisions.
Republic Transmission was selected by MISO on May 11 2023 through a competitive solicitation to develop the Hiple to IN/MI State Border (HIMB) 345 kV Transmission Project. For more information please visit the HIMB page.
Republic Transmission is a subsidiary of LS Power and of LS Power Grid.
For decades, LS Power has been at the leading edge of the electric industry’s evolution, often introducing or commercializing new technologies and developing new markets. Today is no different. LS Power is at the forefront of the greening of the electric grid. Through LS Power’s national fleet of utility-scale solar, wind, hydro, natural gas-fired, and battery storage generation projects, our customer-facing distributed energy resources and energy efficiency platforms, and by building the transmission that connects it all, LS Power is not just talking about the decarbonization of the system – LS Power is making it happen.
LS Power Grid, an affiliate of LS Power, focuses on the development, construction, and operation of the company’s transmission portfolio. In every project, LS Power’s development philosophy centers on meeting the needs of customers by providing safe, reliable, competitive energy while protecting the environment and working together with local communities.
Learn more at www.lspower.com and www.lspowergrid.com.
Hoosier Energy is a generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale electricity and services to 18-member distribution cooperatives in central and southern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. Hoosier Energy is an indirect minority owner of Republic Transmission. Hoosier Energy owns approximately 1,700 miles of transmission lines, most of which are located in Indiana.
Hoosier Energy currently operates and maintains transmission facilities in the same part of Indiana as Republic Transmission. Benefitting from Hoosier Energy’s existing local operations and maintenance experience and capabilities, Republic Transmission utilizes Hoosier Energy to handle ongoing operations and maintenance activities of Republic Transmission’s facilities in Indiana.
Big Rivers Electric is a member-owned, not-for-profit, generation, and transmission cooperative. Big Rivers Electric Corporation delivers wholesale electric power and services to three distribution cooperative members across 22 counties in western Kentucky.
Big Rivers supported development for the portion of the Duff-Coleman Project located in the state of Kentucky. After the project was energized, Big Rivers acquired the project’s facilities located in Kentucky from Republic Transmission and will own, operate, and maintain those facilities.
The Duff to Coleman Project is a single circuit 345kV transmission line covering approximately 30 miles through Dubois County, Indiana; Spencer County, Indiana; and Hancock County, Kentucky. MISO’s analysis estimated that the project would provide over $1 billion in benefits which far exceeded the cost for the project.
Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky were identified by the 2015 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan (MTEP) as having significant transmission congestion impacting nearby large industrial loads and projected load growth in the region. MISO determined that a new extra-high voltage transmission line would increase reliability by strengthening the regions’ transmission backbone and reduce congestion, allowing lower cost generation resources to reach load. The result will be safe and reliable delivery of power while providing lower system costs for the entire MISO electric transmission grid. The RTO/ISO Selection Report for Republic Transmission is available here.
After determining that the project was needed, MISO completed a competitive selection process to determine who would implement, own and operate the Duff-Coleman Project. MISO examined proposals from eleven qualified developers including Republic Transmission and other national and local utility companies. For each proposal, MISO evaluated:
- Project cost and design
- Project implementation capabilities
- Operations and maintenance capabilities
- Planning participation
In each category, MISO looked for certainty, risk mitigation, low cost, and specificity.
MISO’s evaluation process determined that Republic Transmission was best suited to implement own and operate the Duff-Coleman Project. In its Selection Report MISO said, “Republic Transmission was comparatively advantageous and exhibited the best balance of high-quality design and competitive cost, best-in-class project implementation, and top-tier plans for operations and maintenance. Republic Transmission excelled among a complement of strong proposals. Republic Transmission’s proposal provided the strongest combination of attributes, including but not limited to, the highest degree of certainty and specificity, the lowest risk, and low cost.”
Prior to beginning construction, Republic Transmission applied for and received numerous federal, state, and local authorizations, permits, and approvals. Of particular note, Republic Transmission successfully earned a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and formally consulted with U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Republic Transmission received additional permits/approvals and consultations from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, Kentucky Department of Water, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Kentucky Heritage Counsel, Indiana and Kentucky Departments of Transportation, as well as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Airport Zoning Commission and various other state and local agencies.