Senator Sarah Keyeski provides essential details regarding the BECI 765-kV Transmission Line Project
Aug 11, 2026, 4:42 PM CT
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In a prepared statement, Senator Sarah Keyeski provided essential details regarding the BECI 765-kV Transmission Line Project, a significant development proposed for our region. This project stems from a comprehensive plan approved by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Board of Directors in December 2024. Following an open bid process in January 2026, MISO selected Midcontinent Grid Solutions (MGS) to lead the construction and management of this new line.
The project is ambitious in scope, encompassing a 190-mile transmission line that spans a nine-county region. The proposed route begins at a substation in Bell Center, Wisconsin, extends to the Columbia Energy Center near Portage, continues to a substation in Sugar Creek, Wisconsin, and finally reaches the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. Because of the size and scale of this infrastructure, the project will have a lasting presence in our local landscape.
Midcontinent Grid Solutions is currently in a critical phase of seeking public input to help determine the final route for the power line. This feedback is vital as it will inform the formal proposal MGS plans to submit to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) in early 2027. To ensure your voice is heard, it is important to note that MGS seeks to receive initial public feedback by the deadline of September 7.
Landowners and stakeholders who may be affected by the proposed routes should be receiving letters from MGS containing project information and detailed maps. If you have questions or wish to share specific concerns, you can contact the project team directly via email at Connect@MGSWisconsin.com or by phone at 608-895-0798. Engaging with these resources is the best way to understand how your specific property may be impacted.
To facilitate this engagement, MGS is hosting several open houses throughout August. These events offer the public an in-person opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions of the engineers who will be present with parcel-specific technology, and provide feedback on the placement of the line. For those unable to attend these sessions in person, MGS has made an online open house available at mgs-projects.com/BECI, which includes an informational slideshow and online comment cards.
Keyeski adds, she is personally impacted by this proposal. Her community of Lodi stands to be directly affected, and like many of you, she will be receiving a notification letter. While Keyeski serves in the legislature, she has no more official say in this process than any other citizen.
Adam Hess has been involved in radio broadcasting since 1990, with many of those years spent on the air at WRCO FM in Richland Center. Currently, Adam hosts the Weekend Wake-up and Prime Mover Saturdays on WRCO FM, jumps in and helps out with news duties, handles Social Media duties for WRCO and WRCE, and is the Director of Technology at a Southwest Wisconsin School District. Reach him at adam.hess@civicmedia.us.
