Original date: June 20, 2011
ONALASKA, WI (WEAU)–Peggy Pasker drove more than an hour to Onalaska so she could see just how close a transmission line would be from her La Farge home.
"It’s possibly within less than a quarter-of-a-mile of our home and it would be right in front of my mother’s home, which is on HWY 82," Pasker said.
Pasker says she has some concerns about not only that possible route, but whether the American Transmission Company’s (ATC) project, that will build power lines to cover 150-miles from Dane County to La Crosse County, is necessary.
"The Badger Coulee Line would provide multiple benefits," said ATC spokeswoman Sarah Justus. "One very important one is to provide more economical access to power, meaning that the local utility companies have better access to provide lower cost power to their customers.”
Justus says by this time next year, the dozens of line options will be narrowed down to just a couple routes and the state Public Service Commission will make the final decision. She says the project will cost about $425 million. It will be paid for by rate payers and will cost less than 1% of your electric bill.
"They need to come up with other options, more sustainable options for the local area," Pasker said. "This is a lot of money.”
Pasker hopes when the routes are narrowed down that the blue line on the map won’t be going through her home. Construction of the new line would begin in 2016.
Tomorrow there will be an open house for the Badger Coulee Transmission Line Project at Club 16 in Sparta. For more information on the project, you can go to the ATC’s website, which we have a link to on our "news links" page.
