The 765 kV Line in Columbia 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 Columbia County

Yes; Columbia 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 has published 78 candidate study segments, and public comments on them are open until September 7, 2026.

Updated August 20, 2026

Columbia 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)
Developer
Midcontinent Grid Solutions, a Transource Energy and BHE Transmission joint venture
Status
Route study; PSC application expected early 2027
Named connection point
The Columbia Substation, in Columbia County, is one of BECI's named connection points
Line type
765 kV, the largest transmission class in the country; towers 150 to 200 feet

What is happening right now?

  • MGS is holding a Columbia County open house at Whispering Pines in Poynette on August 25; details are on our events calendar.
  • Comments on the developer's 78 study segments are open until September 7, 2026.

What have local governments here said?

No municipal resolutions recorded in Columbia County yet. See the full resolution tracker.

Local businesses on the record

1 Columbia County businesses on the record.

  • Creek Bed Farmacy Lowville

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 Columbia 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 Columbia 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.