765-kv transmission line developer seeks more public input as it readies plan for regulators

JANESVILLE — Midcontinent Grid Solutions is giving Wisconsin residents more time to sound off on its controversial, 190-mile Bell Center-Columbia-Sugar Creek-Illinois/Wisconsin transmission line expansion project.

Midcontinent said Friday it intends to file with the state's Public Service Commission for a certificate of public necessity for the 180-foot-tall, 765-kilovolt transmission line "no sooner" than May 1, 2027.

At the same time, the group intends to host more open houses leading up to its formal power-line proposal to the state.

That's a shift in timeline for the project's approval process, but it comes as Midcontinent says it is scheduling more open houses to collect more public feedback on the potential route for the 190-mile-long transmission line that would run through Rock County and northward, then wrap westward north of Madison.

Midcontinent says it intends to publicly release upcoming open house dates early in 2027.

Midcontinent President Ryan Houck said Midcontinent has heard from landowners, local officials and residents about the developer's plan, which is being deemed necessary by Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional grid operator that manages the flow of wholesale electricity across 15 states.

MISO is saying that more midwest grid capacity is needed to support a boost in need for electricity that would lead to a projected shortage that could emerge as early as 2032.

Midcontinent aims to build out the big transmission line, the tallest in the state, by 2024, pending decisions by the PSC on the need for extra capacity and by the state Department of Natural Resources on an environmental impact case.

Houck said Midcontinent is "listening" to feedback on the project plans.

"By extending the engagement schedule and rescheduling our open houses from the fall to early next year, we're creating more opportunities for meaningful participation before the next step in the regulatory process,” Houck said.

Participants at the open houses can mark off their property on maps, including any structures or land uses that would help Midcontinent find a route for the 765-kv line.

The company has not proposed a definite route; rather, it has shown a conglomerate of routes for the big power line expansion that presents as a braided set of potential courses the lines could run.

Midcontinent has not selected a final route for the lines.

Residents up and down the Interstate have voiced concern and opposition about the transmission line, saying they worry about whether the lines would be disruptive to farming or harm the value of their property.

Eight Wisconsin counties located along the potential route for the line have voted to enact advisory resolutions opposing the BECI line, including Rock, Walworth and Jefferson counties.