Original date: February 8, 2011
Communic8
LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) says an application for high-voltage power lines that would cross the Mississippi River at Alma is incomplete.
In a letter February 1 to 11 utility companies that make up the CapX2020 partnership, the PSC says the application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity is incomplete due to"missing, or inaccurate information."
The proposed power line project would cross the Mississippi River at Alma, and pass through Buffalo and Trempealeau counties before ending at a substation near Holmen.
The PSC will not consider the application complete until the group meets standards that satisfy the commission and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
In a separate letter to William Fannucchi of the PSC dated January 27, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation expressed concerns about the impact of high-voltage power lines along Highway 35, or the Great River Road National Scenic Byway .
"Even though existing transmission lines were not allowed in the current scenic easements, most, if not all, of those easements do not allow for erection of new transmission lines since they are in direct conflict with the clear purpose of these numerous conservation easements and would have an unacceptable adverse impact on the natural scenic values for which the (Great River Road) has been designated and is to be preserved," DOT Deputy Secretary Mike Berg writes in the letter.
Project construction is expected to begin in 2013, and the line is scheduled to be energized in 2015.
PREVIOUS STORY – Posted January 5, 2011
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The group advocating for a new series of high-voltage power lines has filed an application for a line that would cross the Mississippi River near Alma.
CapX2020, a partnership of 11 utility companies, filed a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC).
The proposed Wisconsin section Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse power line would begin near Alma, cross the Mississippi River and run 40-55 miles until it connects with an 80-90 mile segment in Minnesota.
"The project will improve reliability in the La Crosse and surrounding rural areas as well as improve access to generation," says Priti Patel, CapX2020 co-director. "It will also ensure that local communities and customers continue to enjoy reliable access to affordable electricity."
The 345 kV line will be constructed with single-pole steel structures spaced approximately 800 to 1,000 feet apart. Project construction is expected to begin in 2013, and the line will be energized in 2015.
Once the PSC completes a technical review and determines the application complete, landowners and interested stakeholders will be notified by letter that the review process is starting. Public meetings and hearings to gather input and take comments on the project will follow.
Click here for more on the Citizens Energy Task Force, the group opposing CapX2020.
