- Hundreds of miles of new transmission lines are planned across northern and mid-Michigan
- Tens of millions of power customers could benefit from more reliable electricity, backers say, but many of the tens of thousands of landowners in the path of the lines are unhappy
- State utility regulators have proposed new rules to force more transparency from power companies and require more public input on new power lines
Rick Thelen was caught by surprise when he found out new high-powered electric transmission lines could cut through his 80-acre field near Lansing.
Unlike the smaller distribution lines that dot neighborhoods throughout Michigan, the towering electric transmission lines carry more voltage over longer distances and require up to 200 feet of clearance around them. Like tens of thousands of other landowners affected by proposed transmission lines, Thelen worries about electromagnetic fields, decreasing property values and how he’ll be able to use his land in the future.
“I feel like they just (have) complete disregard for property rights,” Thelen said.
The most recent proposal, a more than 250-mile stretch of transmission lines called the Copperton Projects, are part of Tranche 2.1, an array of more than 20 projects in several states organized by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, which manages the electric grid across 15 states and the Canadian province of Manitoba. The Copperton Projects are planned to come online in 2032 and will cost more than $1 billion. ITC, the biggest electric transmission company in the US, will be in charge of construction.
The projects are meant to increase electric reliability for the tens of millions of customers served by the MISO grid, according to ITC. Michigan consistently ranks last in the nation for power reliability, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
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“The Copperton projects are critical to maintaining the reliable and economic delivery of energy, increasing resiliency, and supporting the long-term energy needs of Michigan,” Andrew Johnson, a representative of ITC, said in an email to Bridge Michigan.
But many landowners in the current proposed path of the transmission lines aren’t happy.
The Wheatland Music Organization in Mecosta County said in a statement posted on social media that the Copperton Projects would wipe out more than 130 campsites and more than 70,000 feet of total campground.
“Wheatland’s grounds have brought people together for music, dance, learning, and camping for more than 50 years,” the statement said. “The proposed route would affect our fall festival … year-round programs, wooded areas, and use of the property.”
Some studies have shown high-voltage transmission lines can reduce property values as much as 10%. The power running through the lines can create electromagnetic fields and extremely low-frequency radiation, which the World Health Organization says may cause cancer, though other agencies say the link is weak.
The Copperton Projects are in the listening phase now. Backers met with local government leaders in the spring and are hosting several public listening sessions across the state this month, with events planned in Fremont today, Ludington Wednesday and Hart Thursday. Landowner open houses are planned for spring 2027 and public meetings are planned for next fall. Affected residents can also provide feedback here.
Each of the lines in the Copperton Projects connect from a substation in Midland County to substations in Ludington, Gratiot County and in Tittabawasee, also in Midland County.
ITC expects to officially apply to state utility regulator the Michigan Public Service Commission next year.
If the commission approves the project, ITC would attempt to negotiate payments to landowners but could use eminent domain to secure rights of way if negotiations fall through.
Meanwhile, state regulators have proposed new rules aimed at requiring more transparency from power companies and more public buy-in before transmission lines can be built. The Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Lansing to discuss the rules.
“I don’t really buy it,” Thelen, the Lansing-area landowner, said of the commission’s proposal. “I’m not convinced that it will actually improve things.”
In an attempt to give landowners more voice, regulators in January approved voluntary application guidelines for companies seeking to build projects with 5 or more miles of transmission lines. Adding to requirements spelled out in statute, the proposed rules would require companies to detail their reasoning for choosing a specific area for their route, list contact info for an available and knowledgeable person who can talk about the project, and invite all landowners and the leaders of local governments within 1 mile of the proposed routes to public input meetings.
The rules would require companies to document all comments and all requests regarding small changes to routes and would require transmission line builders to look into more alternate routes.
“ITC appreciates the Commission’s continued efforts to improve the transmission line siting process and supports its focus on early, transparent, and meaningful public engagement,” Johnson, of ITC, said.
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