(Red Oak) The Red Oak City Council approved MidAmerican Energy’s plan to replace Red Oak’s underground transmission line with a new overhead line.
The Council considered whether MidAmerican Energy’s proposed replacement for the downtown 69-kV transmission line should remain underground or be moved overhead. The existing underground line is more than 50 years old and failed in 2025.
The overhead option will generally follow the existing route and use weathering steel poles that can also support street lighting. Construction is expected to take only a few days. The Council determined the overhead option would cause less disruption to downtown businesses, residents, traffic and infrastructure while providing a long-term transmission solution.
