Public comment session held on Xcel Energy's proposed transmission line - WQOW TV News 18
Public comment session held on Xcel Energy's proposed transmission line | Business and Economy News | wqow.com
EAU CLAIRE (WQOW) - Xcel Energy is proposing a transmission expansion project across Western Wisconsin and they want your input.
As News 18 reported, the project would add a new 345 kilovolt transmission line, one of the largest types of transmission lines in Wisconsin.
It would connect existing transmission lines starting near Blair through Eau Claire and connecting near Owen or Sheldon.
The project would cost an estimated $500 million depending on the route that is selected.
Xcel Energy has hosted 5 in person open houses, and Monday, they held a virtual one. During it people could ask questions and voice their concerns about the project.
One public commenter from Seymour asked how they are planning on using the existing easements.
"There is landowner compensation, or easements, they're always part of the process for pole staking and it's a long kind of drawn-out process that way, too, but the goal is to try to work with people through the process as much as possible," Matt McFarlane, a Senior Permitting Analyst with Xcel Energy said.
People can also submit comments online until October 31st.
After the public comment period is complete, the project will go to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission for review in mid-2024, with their decision expected in 2025. If approved, construction would begin around 2026 and is expected to take about two years.
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