09/08/2026
Are you aware of the proposed 765,000-volt (765 kV) double-circuit transmission line projects that may soon affect us and our communities?
If not, read this for important points to help you decide if you'd like to submit your two cents to MGS by tonight. (Keep reading to find out who those guys are.)
The 765 kV Lines - a regional part of MISO's* Long-Range Transmission Plan - are proposed to cross much of southern Wisconsin with 180 to 200-foot tall (think 20 story building) steel towers and easement paths to be cleared equal to the width of an eight lane highway.
*MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) is a public and not-for-profit Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) and Independent System Operator (ISO) established in 1998 and approved as an RTO by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2001 that manages the high-voltage electric grid across 15 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba.
Important point -- the 765 kV is a pass-through line: built to move bulk power east to west across the state and on to Illinois, and is NOT designed to deliver power to our area.
Interestingly, the routes that MGS proposed in August 2026 for BECI do not follow existing utility corridors. They'd instead carve new ones built on the properties of landowners that don't currently have any existing electric transmission lines. (These newly created corridors would then undoubtably be candidates for similar future projects.)
The lines would cross the Driftless region and thousands of acres of family farms, agricultural fields, and forests. They'd also drill through the area's sensitive karst geology including fractured limestone, sinkholes, and underground drainage systems.
The soon-to-be proposed transmission lines would be developed in two sections in Wisconsin:
Line 1) Dairyland Power Cooperative with GridLiance-Heartland is actively working on a proposal to build the “MariBell Transmission Project” (MariBell), a section from Genoa to Bell Center, in southwest Wisconsin with two possible routes identified--that would be built along existing 161 kV & 69 kV utility corridors;
Line 2) Midcontinent Grid Solutions (MGS) was selected by MISO to build and maintain the “BECI 765-kV Transmission Line Project” (BECI - pronouced like the name "Becky"). BECI is a 190-mile long route through Crawford, Richland, Sauk, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Walworth, and Rock Counties that will directly impact farmers and residents of our area. And MGS is a private corporation that will earn a regulated return on building it. The cost is allocated to Wisconsin ratepayers and others across the MISO Midwest region.
Although 2 projects with 2 different developers, many believe the the two lines are contingent upon one another saying if the MariBell project passes, the BECI will be a done deal. Therefore anyone against one should also support stopping the other.
The MariBell and BECI — the largest and first 765kV lines ever built in Wisconsin — going through the heart of our Wisconsin rural landscape raise many potential concerns including:
-destruction of our unique Driftless Area
-declining property values
-detrimental effects on tourism and rural economies
-adverse human and animal health effects
-loss of water quality
-noise pollution (the lines buzz, especially during rain and snow events)
-stray voltage
-disruption of eco-systems
-water tables pollution
-and—in many cases—the ending of farmer's livelihoods.
The project is still in the public information stage with the MariBell line application expected to be filed with the Wisconsin Public Service Commision (PSC) this fall, and the BECI to follow in early 2027.
The PSC* will then weigh whether the project is needed, what it would cost, what reasonable alternatives exist, and what its effects on the people and the environment would be and either grant or deny each project formal permission to proceed. *The PSC is an independent, three-member (Governor appointed) state regulatory agency responsible for overseeing public utilities in Wisconsin.
Today (September 7) is the deadline for you to submit comments to MGS about their BECI 765-kV transmission line project.
Anyone can submit. Even if you aren't a landowner or don't live in the Driftless. And everyone in your household can submit.
Let them know you want to protect the beauty of the Driftless, your water supply, your farmers, and the quality of the local food you eat.
Here's How to Submit Comments:
➡️By Email: Send your feedback and concerns directly to Midcontinent Grid Solutions at [email protected].
➡️By Interactive Map: Leave comments digitally via the MGS BECI Project Page (you may need to create an account on their map tool to post feedback).https://mgs-projects.com/BECI
➡️By Mail: Mail written comments to Midcontinent Grid Solutions, LLC, 3902 Milwaukee Street, P.O. Box 7426, Madison, WI 53714.
Thank you for your consideration.
