PPL Montana has begun a $55 million project to replace power lines that connect its five hydroelectric plants in the Great Falls area to the electric power grid, and improve the reliability of its assets for consumers.

“To help improve the reliability of the electric supply, we will replace 23 miles of 100-kilovolt power line that interconnects PPL Montana’s five hydroelectric plants in Great Falls — Black Eagle, Cochrane, Rainbow, Ryan and Morony — with NorthWestern Energy’s transmission system,” said David Hoffman, director of External Affairs for PPL Montana.

The new power lines and poles, which will replace equipment that’s up to 80 years old, will also be friendly to the many species of raptors that live along the Missouri River. The spacing of the new wire will be wide enough to allow birds to perch safely.

Hoffman said the work, which will be completed at Black Eagle Dam in 2012, will also involve replacing the substations at the five plants along a 13-mile stretch of the Missouri River and installing a new generation control center and switchyard at Rainbow Dam. PPL Montana is expanding by 70 percent the amount of clean, renewable energy that can be generated by Rainbow.

“The project will create local construction jobs during the course of the work, adding to the economic development impact we’re already making with the $230 million redevelopment of the Rainbow hydroelectric plant,” Hoffman said.

“We’re also reducing by about half the number of poles for the power line project, which will improve the aesthetics along the Missouri River,” he said.