High Tension Over Proposed Power Line
Compilation of articles-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Apr. 16, 1999; Duluth News Tribune May 23, 2000; AP Nov. 29, 2000; The Bee Feb. 28, 2001

A high-voltage power line between Duluth, MN and Wausau, Wis., would help Wisconsin meet its growing need for electricity, according to the draft environmental impact statement on the proposed project.

The existing 345-kilovolt line, from Minneapolis to Appleton, has frequently been pushed to capacity, forcing utilities in Wisconsin to scramble for alternative power supplies to feed demand on summer days. In the summer of 1997, unexpected heavy flows of electricity over the line caused a "near disaster" that nearly set off blackouts across parts of the Midwest, the utilities said in calling for the new transmission line.

That event, and electric shortages the last two summers, prompted Gov. Tommy G. Thompson and the state Public Service Commission to push utilities to beef up their infrastructure by adding new power plants and building a new transmission line.

"This transmission line, as proposed by Wisconsin Public Service and Minnesota Power, will go a long way to assuring Wisconsin residents will have affordable energy while at the same time helping to improve electric reliability," Thompson said in a prepared statement.

Wisconsin Electric Power Co. of Milwaukee also expressed its support for the project.

"The utilities are pulling together for what is best for Wisconsin in the long term," said spokeswoman Maripat Blankenheim.

David Benforado, executive director of the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin, which represents 82 communities that own and operate their own electricity systems, also backed the proposal.

"We want it built tomorrow. We hope that there are no obstacles that will pop up," he said.

But it could come at a cost to the environment. The proposed 250-mile-long, 345-kilovolt Arrowhead-Weston line that Minnesota Power and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation want to build has a greater potential to harm the environment than three possible alternative lines elsewhere in Wisconsin, the draft EIS found.

The Arrowhead-Weston line, however, is the only one that utility companies have asked to build.

``Part of our legal requirements is to look at alternatives,'' Public Service Commission of Wisconsin spokeswoman Annemarie Newman said.

The draft EIS also examined the possible environmental impacts of using different routes for the Arrowhead-Weston line and considered the need for the project.

One thing it did not do was make a recommendation for or against the project.

The PSC began mailing copies of the 500-plus page statement Friday.

``It's too early to comment on the draft,'' said Ed Garvey, Madison attorney for the group Save Our Unique Lands, which opposes the line. ``We haven't even had our experts take a look at it.''

Garvey said his office is sending the draft EIS to SOUL's experts today.

``Then it's just question of continuing to marshal public opinion, which doesn't need much marshaling, because just about everyone we know is opposed to it,'' he said.

A number of people in Northwestern Wisconsin oppose the proposed line because of fears over its potential impact on property values, health and the environment. Project supporters say the line is needed to increase the reliability of the region's electrical system.

"I am concerned for all of the farmers and other landowners who make a living off of this area," said Margaret Buchberger of Marathon City. "Since this land represents their livelihood, this proposal means life or death for them." She said her family uses the land for logging and plans to grow ginseng, but a power line would cut across the farmland and prevent the use of large machinery needed for logging.

"The Public Service Commission will ultimately decide whether the line should be built, whether some modification of this project should be built, or if this project should not be built at all," said Jeffrey L. Butson, public affairs director for the PSC.

He said there was a clear division on the proposal by Minnesota Power and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. for the 345,000-volt line, as expressed at various public information sessions held by the commission.

"Primarily we are hearing (from the public) that this project ruins their land," he said. "It basically cuts across their land which will, they believe, affect their property value should they choose to sell. They did not intend to use the land for that purpose. A lot of these people retired on their land and use it for recreation," Butson said. "There are also growing concerns about some of the health issues associated with a power line."

But business representatives view the line as a plus for economic development.

"Reliable power is very important to encourage new businesses into town, and some businesses rely on it for other reasons," Butson said.

Minnesota Power manager of public affairs John Heino hadn't seen the draft EIS by mid-afternoon Monday. But he was pleased that it's been released.

``It's an important document that begins the process of considering the potential impacts on the environment,'' he said. ``We are anxious to consider ways that we can build this badly needed line and do it in a way that minimizes the impacts on the environment.''

Picking a route for the line, provided it is built, is one way to minimize environmental impacts. The draft EIS broke the proposed line into three segments, each containing three possible routes. Each route has its own pros and cons.

The three routes in the Oliver-Exeland, Wis., segment illustrates that. One route maximizes the opportunities to put the transmission line on existing rights of way. Another route would minimize the contact people would have with the line but cuts across at least eight forests greater than 1,000 acres in size. Such forest fragmentation can affect species such as timber wolves. The third possible route would combine advantages of the first two, but may need tribal approval to use an existing transmission line right of way through the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, the draft EIS said.

From Exeland there are two possible corridors to Weston: a northern one running near Tripoli and one running near Owen. ``Forest fragmentation is a very serious concern on all of the Tripoli routes,'' the draft EIS said. ``Limited access to construct the new line across many wetlands and streams is also a significant environmental concern in the Tripoli sector.'' The northern segment, by comparison, has a lower potential of breaking up forests. The tradeoff is that this segment's routes ``are primarily in an agricultural landscape... impacts on farm operations could be an important concern.''

If the proposed line is built along one of the Tripoli routes, more than 10,000 acres of county forests would be impacted, according to SOUL intervenor Linda Ceylor. She quoted testimony presented by Price County Forester Pete Bartelt at a public hearing in Tomahawk explaining the negative effects of siting the transmission line though the county forests.

Egtvedt acknowledged that there would be a loss of overall income to the county if the line was located through county forests, but said the county would gain some income because the trees which would be cut down along the route and the right-of-way could be sold and the county would receive payment for the use of the land.

He said the damage to the forest ecosystem would have an adverse impact only in areas with small blocks of forested land, but stated he did not know the overall effects of a transmission line on forest fragmentation.

Pat Berg, Athens, asked Egtevedt what WPS could do about their stand of maple trees in the Ogema area. She said the route would bisect the entire stand and make it impossible for the family to continue to operate their maple syrup business. She was told some type of settlement would be made for the trees that had to be cut down but the family would not be reimbursed for the loss of possible income.

In response to questions from David Ludwig, an attorney for the Public Service Commission, Egtvedt said the transmission lines should use as much of the existing corridors, like highways and railroad rights- of-way as possible. He said the potential impacts of the proposed transmission line won't be known for years.

The Arrowhead-Weston route has the highest number of acres of county forest, the most miles of state trails, the most rivers listed in the Nationwide Rivers Inventory, and the most river and shoreline miles of Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters, the draft EIS said.

``These factors indicate an area largely dominated by natural landscape features that could be seriously harmed by the construction of a major high-voltage transmission line,'' the draft EIS says.

But the proposed Arrowhead-Weston line would also cross the area with the lowest density of roads and humans. That could translate to fewer landowners concerned over property values, health and safety.

The public has until July 5 to comment on the draft EIS. The state will use those comments as it prepares the final EIS, which could be completed by mid- to late-August. The PSC has to wait at least 30 days after the final EIS is released before it can begin public hearings on the project.

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