Transmission Line Filing Delayed Until 2027
Midcontinent Grid Solutions has pushed back its regulatory application for a 190-mile high-voltage line across southern Wisconsin.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Utilities
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Midcontinent Grid Solutions announced a delay in filing its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity application for the proposed BECI transmission line. The company will not file before May 1, 2027, after landowners, local officials and community members requested more time to review project information.
Why it matters
The delay extends the period in which residents and local governments can weigh in on a project that would cross much of southern Wisconsin. Opposition has already been visible, with nearly 200 people rallying at the State Capitol and 69 local government votes recorded against the proposed lines.
The proposed line would run nearly 190 miles from Crawford County to Walworth County and continue to the Illinois state line. Sixty-nine local government votes have been recorded against the proposed lines, while the final route remains unselected.
The players
Midcontinent Grid Solutions
The transmission developer proposing the BECI high-voltage line across southern Wisconsin and the Illinois state line.
The details
Midcontinent Grid Solutions announced on a Thursday that it would delay its application to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. The company plans open houses in the first quarter of 2027 to gather public input before filing.
Timeline
October: Nearly 200 people rally at the State Capitol in Madison against the proposed lines.
Thursday, November 12, 2026: Midcontinent Grid Solutions announces the filing delay.
First quarter of 2027: Planned open houses for public engagement.
May 1, 2027: Earliest date the company will file its certificate application with the PSC.
Utility Pipeline
The project must clear the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity review, the state's formal gate for new high-voltage transmission. Pushing the filing to no earlier than May 1, 2027 lengthens the timeline before that review begins.
Residents along the proposed route have a longer window to review plans and submit comments before any formal state review begins. Landowners whose property could fall within the eventual corridor will not learn the final route until the company selects one.
The takeaway
Delays in transmission filings give affected communities more time to engage, but the route itself remains undecided. Following the open houses in early 2027 will show how the company responds to local input.
What happens next
Midcontinent Grid Solutions will hold open houses in the first quarter of 2027 and will not file its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity application before May 1, 2027.
Further reading
For more on the infrastructure behind these proposals, see Utilities coverage across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News8000.
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