% FOCUSED ON POWER OR LACK OF IT
% DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE AT
% THE CITY'S MAIN PLANT.
% ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION IS ALSO
% THE TOPIC OF OUR WISCONSIN LOOK
% TONIGHT.
% IT'S A LOOK AT SOUTHWESTERN
% WISCONSIN, WHERE SOME RESIDENTS
% WORRY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF A
% PROPOSED POWER LINE RUNNING FROM
% THE MADISON AREA TO DUBUQUE,
% IOWA.
% STUDENT JOURNALIST WILL KEN
% NEELY HAS MORE.%>> THE LAND
HAS DEEP MEANING FOR
% THE REGION.
% >> IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE.
% >> KILEY AND ERIC CATES SPENT A
% SUNNY AFTERNOON AWAY FROM THE
% FARM TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD
% IN MADISON.
% >> WE HAVE STRONG CONSERVATION
% ON OUR FARM.
% SO DOES OUR TOWN COMMUNITY,
% FARMING COMMUNITY.
% WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THE TOWERS
% GROW UP.
% >> THEY ARE PART OF A GROUP OF
% RESIDENTS VOICING A CONCERN
% ABOUT A POWER LINE THAT WOULD
% CONNECT JUST WEST OF MADISON
% WITH DUBUQUE, IOWA.
% IT'S BEFORE THE STATE'S PUBLIC
% SERVICE COMMISSION, WHICH WILL
% DECIDE WHETHER THE CARDINAL
% HICKORY-CREEK PROJECT IS
% NECESSARY.
% AMERICAN TRANSMISSION COMPANIES
% SAYS THE PROJECT IS CRUCIAL TO
% ALLEVIATE THE STRAIN ON THE
% REGION'S ENERGY GRID.
% >> TRANSMISSION LINES DON'T
% START AND STOP AT STATE LINES.
% IT'S MUCH LIKE THE INTERSTATE
% HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
% SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS
% THAT THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY
% ADDRESSES, IS REDUCING THE
% CONGESTION THAT HAS COME ABOUT
% OVER THE YEARS WITH THE
% CONSTRAINTS ON THE ELECTRIC
% TRANSMISSION SYSTEM.
% >> THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
% ASKS THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN ON
% THE NEED FOR THE NEW LINE,
% HOLDING HEARINGS IN LANCASTER,
% MADISON AND DODGEVILLE.
% >> THIS IS VERY DISTURBING TO U
S
% AND WOULD CHANGE OUR QUALITY OF
% OUR LIVES, WOULD CHANGE THE
% AESTHETICS OF THE LAND THERE AND
% CAUSE ALL KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
% PROBLEMS.%>> FOR THE CATES,
THIS IS
% CRUCIAL TO THEIR AREA.
% >> YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A VERY
% SMALL TOWNSHIP THAT'S RIGHT OFF
% OF THE RIVER AND IT'S VERY
% REMINISCE CENTS OF!!!RE
MINISCENT OF 40, 50 YEARS AGO.
% WE HAVE STRICT ORDINANCES TO
% WHERE YOU CAN BUILD A HOME AND
% JUST IN ORDER TO KEEP A VERY
% SPECIFIC LOOK IN OUR TOWNSHIP.
% AND HAVING A CELL TOWER IS JUS
T
% NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PASSED
% IN OUR TOWN ON.
% SO TO PUT THIS IN THERE WOULD B
E
% DIVISIVE AND HARD FOR OUR
% COMMUNITY.
% >> THE PROPOSED POWERS WOULD BE
% UPWARDS OF 175 OF FEET AND NEE
D
% 75-FOOT CLEARANCES ON BOTH
% LIENSZ.
% THE LINES WOULD BE BUILT ON
% EXISTING RIGHTS-OF-WAY WHERE
% POWER LINES ARE ALREADY LOCATED.
% 5% OF THE LINES WOULD BE OVER
% NEW GROUND.
% >> WE STRIVE TO CREATE THE LEA
ST
% AMOUNT OF IMPACT AS POSSIBLE.
% >> FOR THOSE AREAS WHERE NEW
% POWER LINES ARE NEEDED,
% RESIDENTS WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP
% PART OF THEIR LAND.
% >> THE FIRST ALTERNATE ROUTE
% WENT RIGHT THROUGH OUR FARM.
% IT WENT KIND OF LIKE UP AND OVER
% THIS HILL AND UP AND OVER THAT
% HILL.
% SO JUST IMAGINING IN MY MIND I
% WAS IMAGINING HOW THE HECK WOULD
% THEY BUILD ALL THAT?
% IT'S CRAZY.
% >> THOSE OPPOSING THE PROJECT
% ARE ASKING FOR ALTERNATIVES,
% SUCH AS LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY
% PRODUCTION OR A BATTERY DRIVEN
% STORAGE SYSTEM.
% ATC SAYS LOCAL SOLUTIONS WOULD
% BE COSTLY.
% THE COST OF THE LINE WOULD BE
% SHARED ACROSS A WIDE REGION.
% >> WHAT IT DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH IS
% ALL OF THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT
% THE TRANSMISSION LINE OFFERS,
% WHICH IS ACCESS TO LOWER-COST
% POWER, REDUCTION OF CONGESTION
% ON THE ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION
% SYSTEM AND IMPROVED ACCESS TO
% RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES.
% >> THE PSC IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A
% DECISION THIS FALL ON WHETHER
% THE PROJECT GETS THE GREEN
% LIGHT.
% REPORTING FROM MADISON, THIS IS
% WILL KENNEALLY.
% >> REGULATORS MUST ALSO SIGN OFF
% BEFORE THE PROJECT BREAKS GROUND
% IN 2021.
% IT'S EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL
% IN 2023.
% THIS WEEK REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS
% WHOSE DISTRICTS ARE IN THE
% CORRIDOR SENT A LETTER
% QUESTIONING THE NEED FOR THE
% PROJECT.%THEY ASKED FOR A COS
T BENEFIT
% ANALYSIS OF THE EXPANSION.