ATC backs study request on Tuesday's ballot

Monday, November 06, 2006

With all the election hoopla, don’t forget the referendum on a study of transmission lines in Dane County. This comes from a story by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:

American Transmission Co. has taken out full-page ads in today's Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times urging a "yes" vote on Tuesday's Dane County referendum on power lines.

The referendum asks county voters whether a new, independent study should be conducted to see if the county truly needs more high-power transmission lines.

It's not that the public utility company in charge of most of those towering lines in Wisconsin thinks the outcome will change. Mark Williamson, ATC's vice president for major projects, called the referendum question "stupid" in a telephone interview Friday. He said it's a moot issue because the state Public Service Commission will conduct a study before deciding whether the lines can be built.