Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 03:49:15 -0600
From: Stacy Volk <cen21697@centuryinter.net>

DJ Wisc. Regulators To Begin Transmission Project Review
Copyright © 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--Wisconsin utility regulators will begin taking public testimony Tuesday on a controversial 345-kilovolt transmission line
project proposed by two regional utilities.

The 250 mile line, planned by Allete (ALE) unit Minnesota Power Co. and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. (WPS), would run from the northeast corner of Minnesota through the heart of Wisconsin.

According to the builders, the line would be a much-needed link to Wisconsin, which has seen little transmission expansion in recent years despite increased traffic on existing lines due to growing demand and wholesale power trading traffic.

"Our state's transmission system has not kept up with the growing demands for energy," said Larry Borgard, vice president of transmission for Public Service. "We can't keep up with the electrical needs of our expanding economy."

Environmental groups and other activists counter that the project will threaten Native American communities and the local environment. They also cite possible health risks and declining property value concerns.

Some groups have also questioned the true motives for the line, alleging that it's really just a conduit for shipping wholesale power from coal generators in the Dakotas to the electricity-hungry Chicago region.

An independent report recently paid for by the "Save Our Unique Lands," or SOUL Inc. activist group, claims that Minnesota Power and Public Service based a study showing the need for the line on old data that doesn't take into account recently improved power plant performance and planned generation increases in Wisconsin.

"The reality is that any new power plants built after 2000 would offset or eliminate the need to import additional electricity into the state," according to a SOUL statement.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will hold nine public hearings on the proposed power line project between Tuesday and Dec. 8. The Commission will then hold technical hearings on the project starting Jan. 3, and will likely rule on the new line by late Spring.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 27-11-00
2147GMT

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