Local
Rock County supervisors cite farm-field safety in opposition to 190-mile power line
Rock County’s Board of Supervisors approved a resolution opposing the proposed BECI transmission line’s route through the county. Supervisors raised concerns that its planned tower design could create hazards for farmers working their fields.
The Rock County Board of Supervisors voted Thursday, Oct. 22, to oppose the proposed route and construction of a 765-kilovolt transmission line that would cross the county as part of a 190-mile project from Crawford County to Walworth County.
The resolution, numbered R-2026-139, objects to the proposed route and flags concerns about Guyed-Y towers. The design uses tensioned cables anchored to the ground for support, which the county says could leave obstacles in agricultural fields.
Those obstacles could force farmers to maneuver around them and, according to the resolution, increase the risk of collisions that could cause serious injury or death. Supervisor Ron Woodman sponsored the measure.
The county’s vote states its opposition; the information available about the resolution does not indicate that it changes the project’s approval process or determines whether the line will be built. The proposed line would cross several Wisconsin counties on its route between Crawford and Walworth counties.