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Dear Editor:
On Tuesday, August 20, 2019, three Wisconsin Public Service Commissioners chose to fully support the CHC high-power transmission line project, totally ignoring many serious concerns and superior alternatives. All three rogue commissioners have electric utility backgrounds, and they gave their interstate electric utility friends all that they wanted. I now call them the Utility Service Commissioners (USC) because there is no public service or interest in their preliminary decision favoring CHC. This is outrageous!
With this decision, the USC grossly defied unanimous public opposition. They ignored serious concerns about the devastating environmental and economic impact of CHC. They dismissed superior alternatives to the CHC line that were presented by expert witnesses and consultants. These three USC members ignored warnings and advice from their own staff at the PSC. They are unconcerned about the devastating environmental and economic effects of CHC. They appeared totally unaware of the strong bipartisan opposition to CHC from Wisconsin legislators. It seems as if the USC did not hear anything those opposed to CHC have been saying for the last three years. They stuck with their utility buddies in decades' old 1980s planning and outdated technology.
The CHC line will bring a little increase in the current 8% wind-generated energy but will carry mostly fossil fuel energy (57%), which is also projected to increase, from western states through Wisconsin to customers back East. CHC will actually increase the production of CO2! We Wisconsinites would have to suffer the environmental and economic devastation--with absolutely no benefit to us. The big interstate electric utility corporations are concerned only with making money for themselves and their shareholders, NOT benefitting people or protecting the environment.
This decision from the USC is exactly what happens in North Korea and the Peoples Republic of China. We are in the U.S.A., and the public interest, NOT the utility interests, must be served. Governor Evers must be informed of the problems with CHC and the alternatives to it. Please call the governor's office at 608-266-1212 and register your concerns about and dissatisfaction with this decision. Encourage him to favor a final decision against CHC. He is a public servant of the citizens of Wisconsin, not the utilities and big corporations.
Sincerely
George Schwarzmann Jr.
Platteville