LIVING HERE
Walworth County residents seek answers on planned high-voltage power lines.
The proposed Bell Center–Columbia–Sugar Creek–Illinois/Wisconsin State Line (BECI) Project is a major new infrastructure development that could significantly impact the agricultural landscape of southern Wisconsin.
This $1.2 billion investment involves constructing approximately 190 miles of 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines connecting Crawford County to Walworth County before continuing to the state line. The BECI Project is designed to strengthen the power grid, improve reliability, and enable the flow of low-cost energy to customers in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. The project will strengthen Wisconsin’s electric grid by connecting southern Wisconsin to one of the strongest parts of the interstate transmission system. By providing additional capacity and backup pathways, the project will help keep electricity flowing reliably, even when parts of the grid are under strain or equipment failures occur.
Demands on the electric grid are changing and growing. New energy resources are coming online, older generators are retiring, and power flows across the region are shifting, all while electricity demand is increasing at an unprecedented pace. To help with these issues, Midcontinent Grid Solutions plans to start construction in 2029 and activate the power lines in 2033.
The developer behind the project, Midcontinent Grid Solutions, hosted an open house about their plans Thursday morning at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan. The line to get in was out of the door and wrapped around the building. The project would also mark the first 765-kV transmission line constructed in Wisconsin, representing a significant increase in the scale of transmission infrastructure in the state.
Brian Radday of Midcontinent Grid Solutions said the company has heard from thousands of people during its events this week. He said the company will read through all of the public comments they received and try to adjust the routes in a way that makes sense with the land and community. Midcontinent Grid Solutions is planning another round of open houses this fall.
