Pocan Shares Concerns With Proposed Mgs Transmission Line
MADISON, WI – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) sent a letter to Midcontinent Grid Solutions (MGS) objecting to the insufficient public input process and a concerning lack of information provided to constituents in the 2nd Congressional District who will be directly impacted by a proposed $1.2 billion transmission line, particularly in Sauk, Dane, and Rock counties.
The proposed transmission line, also known as the BECI project, would be a 765-kilovolt, 190-mile power line stretching across southern Wisconsin. Pocan called for MGS to delay a filing to proceed with the project until at least May 2027, after a meaningful public input process.
“I am writing to express concern with Midcontinent Grid Solutions’ (MGS) plan to file its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for the BECI 765-kV Transmission Line Project in early 2027,” Pocan began. Constituents in Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District, particularly in Dane, Sauk, and Rock Counties, have reached out to my office with real concerns about this project, and I share those concerns.”
“People who received letters just weeks ago are now being asked to absorb the entirety of a 190-mile, 765-kV line, identify the parties involved, understand potential routes through their communities, and provide meaningful feedback, all on a compressed timeline that does not match the scale of the project’s impact on their land, their livelihoods, and their communities,” Pocan continued.
“A project of this size and consequence deserves a public input process that matches its impact. I believe there should be additional time to engage more closely with potentially affected landowners before moving forward with a CPCN filing,” Pocan added. “That should include more open-house meetings, clearer and earlier communication about proposed routes, and opportunities for landowners and residents to raise property-specific concerns and have them addressed before the process moves to the PSC.”
“I would ask that MGS extend its public feedback window until at least May 2027 and use that additional time to conduct further outreach and share clear information about proposed routes, what specific reliability problems this project solves, what alternatives were considered for this project, and the full expected costs and benefits of this project to Wisconsinites,” Pocan concluded.
Read the letter here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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