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 US
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 OFREMINISCENT 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 JUST
NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PASSED
IN OUR TOWN ON.
SO TO PUT THIS IN THERE WOULD BE
DIVISIVE AND HARD FOR OUR
COMMUNITY.
>> THE PROPOSED POWERS WOULD BE
UPWARDS OF 175 OF FEET AND NEED
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 LEAST
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 COST BENEFIT
ANALYSIS OF THE EXPANSION.