Town of Stark Committee on Energy Planning & Information

Municipal PSC Information Request Resolutions to provide your constitiuents and all ratepayers of Wisconsin cost-benefit studies examining all available energy solutions. The WI Public Service Comission (PSC) is considering a sweeping package of high capacity transmission additions with costs to electric customers well into the billions. These dollars are fully guaranteed to utilities with very high financing costs over a period of 40 years. When energy use drops, utilties are usually permitted to increase our rate of faclity fees to make up the differennce.

With energy use steadily dropping, more and more states are regarding bulk transfer lines as poor investments for ratepayers and communities. They do not provide quaranteed savings to ratepayers; they assume carbon emissions must increase over time even with a national 25% renewable energy requiement in place and they delay repairs on older transmission lines that will eventually need improvements. The result is greater long term debt, higher energy costs and delay in environmental goals. From 2007 to 2012, most states shifted ratepayer dollars towards efficiency improvements in their homes, farms and businesses ot lower operation costs, stimulate local jobs, keep energy dollars in state. While increases in efffciency across the U.S. averaged 300%, Wisconsin cut its investment by 25%. In 2012, Energy Efficiency was responsible for 75% of the emissions eliminated in that year. No other energy investment can eliminate carbon emissions more quickly or more cost-effectively than Energy Efficiency and Wisconsin's potential is virtually untapped.

Below is a link to municipal resolution for the 345 kV Cardinal Hickory Creek proposal. It is very similar to that used for the Badger-Coulee proposal adopted by more than 100 municipalites to establish local energy investment priorities and to ask the utilities and the PSC to conduct cost-benefit analysis of all energy investment options based on the very high cost of these transmission additions.

Municipal Energy Priorities Resolution Packet for

Cardinal Hickory Creek 345 kV Middleton-Dubuque

Includes Draft Resoution, Information about Transmission
Expansion and Alternate Solutions to be assessed.
Download [.PDF ]

PSC Resolution Filing Instructions for Above - Download PDF

Individual Petitions for Cardinal Hickory Creek Madison-Montfort-Dubuque - Download PDF

Valuation Guidelines for Properties with Electric Transmission Lines - A study including before and after data for the Arrowhead-Weston 345 kV line in Wisconsin conducted by Kurt C. Kielisch. [download pdf]

Energy Efficiency in Massachusetts: Our First Fuel - Economists estimated that $18 billion dollars were leaving the state each year in energy costs. MASS Save is a ratepayer and utility supported program that is dramatically cutting use, emissions, lowering rates and keeping many more energy dollars and jobs at home. [download pdf]

Midwest-ISO's Transmission Expansion Plan 11 or "MTEP11" This version, approved by the MISO Board in December, 2011, contains planning for regional high voltage transmission additions across 12 states with financed costs ranging from $25 Billion for Appendix A "MVP" projects to over $125 Billion for Appendixes B & C. More MTEP 11materials are available here.

Democratizing the Electricity System A Vision for the 21st Century Grid - An comprehensive assesment by John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance examining the economics and policies of centralized and decentralized power systems. Decentralized power is very close to becoming economically competitive. [download pdf]

Video: Guest Speaker Chris Miller chronicles the arguments for and against the 500 kV TrAIL Transmission line in 2007/2008 and how the Piedmont Environmental Council emerged as a model for high voltage transmission alternatives. Speaking in Reedsburg, Wisconsin on October 13, 2011, Chris Miller outlines PECVA's approach which was adopted by the communites along the proposed Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) which was denied permit in 2011 lacking sufficient need. Assessment of the TriAIL proposal by PECVA [pdf]. QuickTime Video [.mov 60 minutes] The information event was sponsored by the Baraboo Range Preservation Association.

Midwest-ISO Final Draft of the Multi-Value Project (MVP) Regional Transmission Proposal [pdf] Arguments for a regional network of high voltage transmission lines [pdf] Associated data spreadsheet [ download.xlsx]

A Review and Analysis of Existing Studies of the Energy Efficiency Resource Potential in the Midwest, A study of Energy Efficiency investment opportunties in support of the Miwestern Governors Association Energy and Climate Change Platform, August 2009 [pdf]

Energy Efficiency and Customer-Sited Renewable Resource Potential in Wisconsin, an assessment of the potential for the state to increase its use of electric and natural gas energy efficiency and customer-sited renewable resources. [download pdf]

Wisconsin's Energy Efficiency Programs Continuing to Bring Savings and Create Jobs An analysis of the potential benefits of expanded funding towards energy efficiency as studied and requested by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission in 2010. [download pdf]

U.S. Department of Energy Outlook 2011-2035 - Historically low rates of growth in the use of electricity for the U.S. and comparable and peak demand projections. [download pdf]

What is Wrong with the Electric Grid? Article in Industrial Physicist citing assessments by Jack Casazza and other prominant electrical engineers describing the creation of the "wholesale" electric market in the 1990's, the inevitable congestion this use created and the origins of subsequent proposals for electric customers to invest in increasing amounts of long distance transmission infrastructure to further expand markets. [htm]

Local Government Responses to High Voltage Transmission Proposals During the Initial, "Public Information Meetings" Phase in Wisconsin by the Town of Stark Committee written as we began to explore reslution types and options. [htm]

American Transmission Company's web site site regarding the Badger-Coulee High Voltage Transmission Proposal. Presentations prepared for stakeholders can be found at ATC10YearPlan.com.

American Transmission Company's Responses to Citizen Questions submitted, in writing, at the Stark Public Meeting, La Farge, WI March 24, 2011. [download .pdf] Town Comittee's September 29, 2011 follow-up questions to ATC [download .pdf]

American Transmission Company at Town of Stark Public Meeting March 24, 2011; Questions presented to ATC in advance of the meeting; Video documentation of the meeting including questions from the public [386mb QuickTime movie]; In-progress transcript of the first hour of the meeting [.pdf]

Town of Stark Committee letter to WisBusiness.com summarizing our goals and activities June 2011 [download pdf].

Application Filing Requirements For Transmission Line Projects in Wisconsin PSC policy specifying documentation that must be incuded and some that cannot be included in the developer's final application that is submitted to the PSC. [pdf]

Strategic Midwest Area Renewable Transmission Studies (SMART) which descrbe and picture a number of midwest grid expansion projects in which the Badger-Coulee and CapX2020 high capacity lines appear to play key roles. ATC's fact sheet states that the Badger Coulee line "matches" these studies. The study, with suggested grid plans was co-funded by ATC. Phase 2 [2 mb .pdf] Phase 1 [5 mb .pdf]

MISO Regional Generation Outlet Study (RGOS) Final November 19, 2010. The other midwest grid expansion study to which the Badger-Coulee proposal is said to "match." [ 9 mb .pdf ]

CapX2020 Application to construct a 345,000 volt transmission line between Alma and Holmen (La Crosse) ...to meet local community load serving needs,.. to maintain the reliability of the regional electrical system and to support generation outlet. Approximately 1.5 years ahead of the Badger-Coulee project with adopted (RGOS) regional grid expansion assumptions. [ 5 mb .pdf ] CapX2020 Final Decision [.pdf]

Wisconsin Public Service Commission's 2012 Strategic Energy Assesment, Final Report [pdf].

Wisconsin Public Service Commission's 2016 Strategic Energy Assesment, Final Report [pdf].

Wisconsin Public Service Commission's 2018 Strategic Energy Assesment, Draft Report [pdf].

Wisconsin Public Service Commission Docket Number for documenting correspondence concerning the Badger Coulee Transmisison Line 137-CE-160. To be notified of all filings made to the Badger-Coulee docket, complete a subscription on the PSC's website.

Isthmus news article written by Vikki Kratz about citizen efforts and ATC responses in Madison area circa 2007 for 345,000 volt line propsed and approved there.

Local Energy Independence Teams - Municiplalities in the Driftless Area Southwest Wisconsin who have committed to reduce their current energy requirements by 25% by 2025. E3 Coalition