PSC Pulls Permit

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has agreed to reconsider a power line project thru southwest Wisconsin. The move comes amid revelations that a former commissioner had encrypted communications with employees of the utilities involved in the project. The PSC voted 2-0 Thursday to issue a notice of intent to rescind the permit for the $492 million Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line. The commission was acting on a request filed by the transmission line owners to rescind the permit and reopen the proceedings. American Transmission Company and ITC Midwest say they learned last week former Commissioner Mike Huebsch had regular communications with an ATC employee, a former ITC contractor, “and other individuals” over several years while a permit application was before the PSC. The utility companies say they don’t know if the messages were related to the project but they want to maintain “transparency” in the process. The permit was already facing legal challenges due to private communications Huebsch had with a minority partner at Dairyland Power Cooperative. The PSC will accept comments thru July 12.