The Michigan Public Service Commission Thursday, July 10 approved the prime route through Branch and Calhoun counties for construction of a 55-mile, 345 kilovolt power line despite objections from numerous residents along the route.
Michigan Electric Transmission Co., a subsidiary of ITC Holdings, plans to build the line, called the Helix to Hiple project, from Indiana to a substation near Duck Lake, north of Marshall, sometime after 2028.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator of the power grid approved the line in July 2022 as part of its Long-Range Transmission Planning initiative.
The MPSC found the line, first discussed in 2008, would strengthen Michigan’s power grid, reduce grid congestion, and facilitate the integration of more renewable energy into the grid.
Despite two years of notices and public meetings, several residents said they were unaware of the project until METC contractors requested that they sign easements.
Some said there were better locations closer to property lines, away from homes, and that didn’t impact farming.
Rob Williams, the owner of the private R&R Ranch Airport, rounded up support from both counties because the line crosses his grass runway near Marshall. “The line would put the airport out of business,” he said.
The commission found the proposed route reasonable over the alternate route because it resulted in fewer impacts on archaeological sites, reduced the number of residences within 500 feet of the line’s right-of-way, and decreased the number of parcels crossed by the line.
The line crosses wetland areas, especially in the Girard and Tekonsha areas.
The commission found that, although the projects will result in some environmental impairment, approval was permissible under the Michigan Environmental Protection Act because there are no feasible and prudent alternatives.
ITC relocated some of the 164-foot towers west of the Branch County Memorial Airport, outside the 150-foot clearance from the glide slope for airport runways.
After receiving hundreds of protests from those along the primary route, the Commission noted, “METC’s engagement with landowners was cursory at best” in some instances.
MPSC will require METC to take action:
The commission separately directed MPSC staff to work with interested organizations and individuals to develop voluntary filing guidelines for use by applicants, promoting clarity, efficiency, and transparency in future applications.
State Rep. Jennifer Wortz introduced legislation to ensure property owners have fair opportunities to challenge the use of eminent domain for the construction of electric transmission lines.
Wortz, the Quincy Republican, proposed House Bill 4526 after hearing from Branch County residents about the ITC transmission line project, which can’t be challenged in court after the MPSC decision.
MPSC additionally approved the METC Nelson Road to Oneida project, a 39-mile, 345-kilovolt double-circuit line between substations in Gratiot and Eaton counties along its alternate route.
Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: MPSC approves route of interstate power line into Branch and Calhoun counties
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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