Nearly two dozen lawmakers from across the political spectrum have pledged to back opponents of a planned 190-mile transmission line that would cut through the southwestern corner of Wisconsin following a state Capitol lobbying blitz on Tuesday.
Advocates against the proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line project that would span 10 counties in southwestern Wisconsin attend “Day of Power” lobbying day at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
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Opponents erected a display showing the scale of the proposed power line compared to a small home. People whose properties the proposed path of the power lines cross say they would be forced to move or lose their farms.
Hundreds of people lobbied state lawmakers to oppose the proposed 765-kilovolt line. Around 82 local governments have already passed resolutions stating their opposition to the proposed project.
U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who is running for reelection to the state’s 3rd Congressional District, vowed to block placing the 765-kV transmission lines on “the most beautiful place in the entire planet so they can move wind energy from North Dakota to Illinois.”
Baraboo landowners, from left, Vera Shie, and Lisa and Doug McClung attend Tuesday’s rally at the state Capitol. Shie, who has a 40-acre crop farm, and the McClungs, who raise sheep on their 25-acre farm, said the proposed power line would go through their properties. “It’s just heart-wrenching,” said Lisa McClung. “We can’t stay if it comes through.”
Nearly 260 people from across the state advocated against a 765-kilovolt transmission line on Tuesday. The regional energy planning nonprofit and companies looking to build the lines say that Wisconsin will need significantly more power in the next decade, and the upgraded lines are needed to update aging technology.
Ben Fenske attends a rally opposing the 765-kilovolt transmission line with his six children, including Miriam, 1, left, and Andrew, 10, right, and his dad, Chuck Fenske, at the state Capitol. Ben Fenske, who lives west of Sauk City, said the proposed power line would go through his father’s backyard and neighbor his own property.
Organizer Michael Browne speaks to a crowd during a rally at the state Capitol opposing the 765-kilovolt transmission line.
Michael Browne, one of the No 765 advocacy group opposing the proposed transmission lines, holds up a binder with resolutions from 82 local governments who say they don’t want the project to be built. It’s an incredible feat, Browne said, considering a year ago, they couldn’t get people to pay attention.
