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Dear Editor:
The fate of the proposed Cardinal Hickory Creek transmission line is in your hands. Public Hearings in June are your best and final chance to speak out against the un-needed economic and environmentally destructive CHC.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission recently released the final Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed CHC. The PSC's own economic analysis of "energy futures" show that the proposed CHC would provide only pennies per month of savings to ratepayers under 3 of the 11 "energy futures." And yet ratepayers would be paying an additional $270 billion for the construction of new power plants needed to support the proposed CHC. We are those ratepayers!
The proposed CHC provides no to little economic benefits to ratepayers, the PSC determined. There are also several hidden costs to local communities in with the proposed CHC. These include reduction in real estate values near the line, with a drop in real estate tax revenues that support our schools, emergency services, etc. A reduction in personal net worth would occur as residents lose property value worth. Tourism and tourism dollars that support our local communities would decline. The loss of vibrant and healthy intact ecosystems all along the proposed CHC routes in the Driftless Area would occur.
Methods to generate and store clean energy are local, available, and feasible using our ever-advancing technology. Non-transmission alternatives based on energy efficiency, solar, and battery storage on our homes, businesses, and farms would save ratepayers $1.4 billion over 40 years, the projected timeline of the CHC economic analysis. Long distance shipping of energy and destruction of landscape, farmland, health, and communities from the proposed CHC is not needed.
Local communities know best. We value our land and resources, and know how to take care of them. Attend one of the Public Hearings in June and speak out against the proposed CHC to protect our communities and resources. Public Hearings are on Tuesday June 25th in Lancaster at the County Fairgrounds, 2 and 6 p.m.; Wednesday June 26th in Madison at the Public Service Building, 4822 Madison Yards Way, 2 and 6pm; Thursday 27th June in Dodgeville at the Dodger Bowl, 321 King St, 2 and 6 p.m.
Thank you.
Kerry Beheler, Mount Horeb