Public Input Sought On Proposed Transmission Line Through Southern Wisconsin

The first of several public commenting sessions are being held this week on a proposed high-powered transmission line that could stretch from the La Crosse area to Madison.

Power utilities American Transmission Co. and Xcel Energy are partnering to construct the Badger Coulee Transmission Line. Officials with the companies say the upgrades are needed to improve energy reliability and to modernize the aging energy grid.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin recently accepted the project’s complete application.

Now that the official regulatory review process has kicked off, PSC officials will hold six open houses to get the public’s input on the Badger Coulee Line and learn more about its potential impacts.

Ultimately, the agency’s commissioners decide if the project is needed and if so, which route the transmission line will take.

Dan Sage, the PSC’s assistant administrator in the Gas and Energy Division, said the PSC wants local input on how building a line could impact someone’s property or sensitive areas. Sage said they also want suggestions on what actions the PSC should take.

“One of the things I always tell people is … you may object to a project and you don’t want it going on your property,” Sage said. “But, if it turns out that it does affect your property, that it is approved and it is going to affect your property, it helps to know what you would like to see as mitigation of those impacts.”

The comments will help the PSC and the state Department of Natural Resources draft the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.

The Badger Coulee Line has been controversial. Some affected residents don’t want it running through their property and others question the project’s need. More than 90 municipalities have already weighed in on the issue.