Dive Brief:
- American Transmission Co. and Xcel Energy are proposing a 182-mile high-voltage power line in Wisconsin at a cost of $514 million to $552 million.
- The application filed Tuesday with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission says the 345-kV Badger Coulee line would benefit ratepayers by providing easier access to inexpensive power in the wholesale electricity market operated by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which supports building the line.
Dive Insight:
A coalition of groups including local governments, farming and environmental interests opposes the line. Some argue that Wisconsin has ample power supplies and that the line is really being proposed to serve MISO's needs more than the state's.