The 765 kV Line in Sauk County — No 765 Line

No 765 Line, Inc. · A Wisconsin 501(c)(3) · Sourced. Coordinated.
Wisconsin PSC · MariBell fall 2026 · BECI early 2027

The 765 kV line in Sauk County

Yes; Sauk County is inside the official study area for BECI, a proposed 765,000-volt transmission line. No route has been chosen yet, and no application has been filed. The developer held an open house in Baraboo on August 25, 2026. Its announced comment window on the study segments closed September 7, 2026, though comments can still be sent to the company.

Updated September 6, 2026

Sauk County outlined, with BECI's published study area and study segments. Source: Midcontinent Grid Solutions (mgs-projects.com), captured August 2026. A study segment is not a chosen route.

What is being proposed here?

Project
BECI (Bell Center to the Illinois state line, ~190 miles)
Source: Midcontinent Grid Solutions
Developer
Midcontinent Grid Solutions, a Transource Energy and BHE Transmission joint venture
Source: MGS project site
Status
Route study; PSC application expected early 2027
Source: MGS project schedule
Line type
765 kV, the largest transmission class in the country; towers 150 to 200 feet
Source: See The 765 Line, explained

What is happening right now?

  • MGS held open houses August 24 to 27 across the eastern study counties, including Baraboo on August 25. The open-house round is over; written comments on the study segments are still being accepted.
  • The developer's announced comment window on its 78 study segments closed September 7, 2026. Comments can still be sent to the company.

Who here is on the record?

  • City of Baraboo — Resolution opposing the routing of the BECI line through or near the city (2026-114), adopted Sep 8, 2026 (Common Council resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Baraboo — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (2026-17), adopted Aug 26, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Baraboo — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-18), adopted Aug 26, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Bear Creek — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-01), adopted Aug 13, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Delton — Resolution opposing the BECI line, adopting the Bear Creek, Caledonia and Freedom resolutions by reference, adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Excelsior — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (09/02/2026), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Fairfield — Resolution opposing the BECI line (2026-01), adopted Sep 1, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Fairfield — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (02-2026), adopted Sep 1, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Franklin — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-01), adopted Sep 1, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Freedom — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (2026-04), adopted Aug 25, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Freedom — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-05), adopted Aug 25, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Greenfield — Resolution stating the town's opposition to the BECI line (090126), adopted Sep 1, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Honey Creek — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-01), adopted Aug 26, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Honey Creek — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (2026-02), adopted Aug 26, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Ironton — Resolution stating the town's opposition to the BECI line (No. 3), adopted Sep 1, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of La Valle — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (08-27-2026-1), adopted Aug 27, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of La Valle — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (08-27-2026-2), adopted Aug 27, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Merrimac — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-15), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Prairie du Sac — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-07), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Prairie du Sac — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (2026-6), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Reedsburg — Resolution opposing the siting of the BECI line in Sauk County (08-31-2026-B), adopted Aug 31, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Reedsburg — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (08-31-2026-A), adopted Aug 31, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Spring Green — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-01), adopted Sep 3, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Sumpter — Resolution stating the town's opposition to the BECI line (2026-0825), adopted Aug 25, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Washington — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-01), adopted Aug 25, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Westfield — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-03), adopted Aug 31, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Winfield — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (2026-3), adopted Aug 25, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Town of Winfield — Resolution opposing the siting of the proposed 765 kV line along its currently proposed route in Sauk County (2026-4), adopted Aug 25, 2026 (Town board resolution (PDF))
  • Village of Cazenovia — Resolution opposing the BECI line as proposed (26-02), adopted Sep 9, 2026 (Village board resolution (PDF))
  • Village of Merrimac — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-9-1), adopted Sep 8, 2026 (Village board resolution (PDF))
  • Village of North Freedom — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-008), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Village board resolution (PDF))
  • Village of Rock Springs — Resolution opposing the BECI line and requesting denial of a CPCN (2026-03), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Village board resolution (PDF))
  • Village of Rock Springs — Landowner-impact information-request resolution (2026-02), adopted Sep 2, 2026 (Village board resolution (PDF))
  • Sauk Prairie School District Board of Education (school board) — Resolution opposing the BECI line within district boundaries and requesting landowner-impact information from MGS, adopted Aug 24, 2026 (School board resolution (PDF))
  • Baraboo Range Preservation Association (organization) — Board statement opposing the BECI line around the Baraboo Range, adopted Aug 2026 (Board statement (PDF))
  • Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (organization) — Board resolution opposing the BECI line anywhere in the Lower Wisconsin River Basin and requesting impact information from MGS, adopted Sep 10, 2026 (Board resolution (PDF))
  • Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce (organization) — Board statement opposing the BECI line and any route that would negatively impact Sauk Prairie and Sauk County, adopted Sep 16, 2026 (Board statement (PDF))
  • Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance (organization) — Board statement opposing the BECI line and Segments 13 and 14 across the Badger Lands, adopted Sep 3, 2026 (Board statement (PDF))

See Sauk County on the statewide tracker

Local businesses on the record

27 Sauk County businesses on the record.

  • All Sky Energy, LLC Baraboo
  • Baraboo Range Preservation Association Baraboo
  • Brunker Realty Group Baraboo
  • Brunker Realty Group – Sauk Prairie Prairie du Sac
  • Canopy Climbers LLC Baraboo
  • Christmas Valley Tree Farm Town of Delton
  • Cold Springs Farm Greenfield
  • Devil's Head Resort Merrimac
  • Ederer's Do It Best Plain
  • Ellee's Sweets n Treats North Freedom
  • Enge Farms, Inc. North Freedom
  • Four Paws Veterinary Clinic Sauk City
  • Green Pastures Cattle Co Plain
  • Growing Greatness Est. 2025 Rock Springs
  • Honey Creek Healing Plain
  • Laukant Farms Loganville
  • Laukant Properties, LLC Reedsburg
  • MW Ag Service Rock Springs
  • North Freedom Repair North Freedom
  • Prem Estates LLC Plain
  • Red Dot Quilt Supplies Reedsburg
  • Serrated Shade, LLC Reedsburg
  • Statz Mechanical Rock Springs
  • Sunrise Veterinary Services Reedsburg
  • Twining Homestead, LLC Baraboo
  • Veggie Emporium North Freedom
  • Vintage Sweets & Gift Shoppe Prairie du Sac

See the statewide roster, or add your business

What can I do?

How do I connect locally?

County organizing is just getting started here. Local contacts and ways to connect in Sauk County will be added to this page as they become available. Joining the email list is the best way to hear when that happens.

Common questions

Is a route through Sauk County already decided?

No. The developer has published a study area and 78 study segments, not a route. A route only becomes real if the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin grants a permit, in a proceeding expected to begin in early 2027.

Who decides whether this gets built?

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, through a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity proceeding. The public can participate at every stage.