A group of bipartisan Wisconsin lawmakers are asking the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin to dig deeper into whether a high-voltage transmission project is needed and if it’s in the best interest of the state’s ratepayers.
At least 11 state senators and representatives have sent letters to PSC Commissioners regarding the Badger-Coulee transmission line. In the letters, they say their constituents have concerns about the project, which would stretch from the La Crosse area to Madison.
The project is being proposed by the American Transmission Company and Xcel Energy, which say they need to upgrade existing power lines to increase capacity.
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The lawmakers have asked the PSC to conduct an impartial cost-benefit analysis. They ask the PSC to study if there is a real need for more energy in Wisconsin. Some lawmakers request that the PSC do a cost analysis on high-voltage transmission lines compared to local, renewable energy generation.
Rep. Terese Berceau (D-Madison) said most importantly, she would like to see an independent analysis conducted.
“Right now, for instance, the groups that I see supporting it are all basically industry related,” said Berceau. “We’re talking about an industry here that does have a lot of money in the political system.”
In an email, PSC spokesman Nathan Conrad wrote that “separate evaluations are not within the purview or budget of the PSC” when it comes to deciding on a specific project. He said certain parties are able to submit their own analyses as part of the project’s record.
Conrad says public comments from lawmakers are treated like those that come from citizens.
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