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