The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has approved certificates of public convenience and necessity (CPCNs) under the Act 30 of 1995 for Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) to construct two major electric transmission line projects in south Michigan —the Helix-Hiple and Nelson Road–Oneida lines. These projects mark Michigan’s first new interstate transmission lines in 50 years, and are part of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) Long-Range Transmission Plan (LRTP) Tranche 1 portfolio. ITC Holding Corporation, doing business as Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC), will develop and operate the new transmission lines.

The Helix–Hiple section will consist of approximately 55 miles (89 km) of new 345 kV double-circuit (D/C) transmission line running between substations in Calhoun and Branch (near the Indiana border) counties, to the new Helix substation near Lansing, for the construction of which METC also needed approval as part of the project. The Nelson Road–Oneida section will span roughly 40 miles (63 km) of 345 kV D/C transmission line from the Oneida substation in Oneida Township to the Nelson Road substation in New Haven Township, and will span across Eaton, Clinton, Ionia, and Gratiot counties in Michigan. According to MISO, these projects are expected to improve the state’s ability to import and export electricity, strengthen grid reliability, reduce grid congestion, and facilitate the integration of additional energy resources.

Clean Grid Alliance (CGA) and the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (Michigan EIBC), two advocacy organizations that supported the projects during the MPSC’s regulatory review, welcomed the approval. These projects will help build the foundation for a generation fleet increasingly powered by lower-cost, renewable energy and supporting Michigan’s growing clean energy economy. CGA also noted that regional transmission provides huge benefits for electric grid reliability, resilience, and affordability, and will deliver clean, affordable energy to homes and businesses across Michigan.

According to project estimates, the two transmission lines are expected to deliver approximately $6.2 billion in financial benefits to Michigan over the next 20 years. They are projected to support around 34,000 jobs during construction and operation and provide enough capacity to supply electricity to 1.7 million homes.

The broader LRTP Tranche 1 initiative was approved by MISO in July 2022. The full tranche includes transmission projects across the region intended to address long-term reliability concerns and integrate renewable energy. MISO projects the LRTP portfolio will deliver $37 billion in economic benefits over two decades.

METC submitted one proposed route and one alternate route for each line, as required by statute. The MPSC has approved and found that the alternate route was preferable as compared to the proposed route for the Nelson to Oneida line, noting it has fewer heavy angles and road crossings, impacts fewer wetlands and hydric soils, and uses an existing utility right-of-way (RoW), displaying sounder routing principles. For the Helix to Hiple line, the PSC found the proposed route reasonable, stating that the alternate route could avoid impact to the R&R Ranch Airport in Marshall, but may result in more damage to archaeological sites, increase the number residences within 500 feet of the line’s RoW, and expand the number of parcels crossed by the line.

Neither project will present threats to public health and safety, and although there will be some environmental disturbances, approval of both projects was permissible under the Michigan Environmental Protection Act because there were no feasible or prudent alternatives.

The PSC conditioned its approval based on a number of actions METC must take:

  • METC must consider landowners’ specific requests for minor modifications to the major transmission line routes approved in this order. The PSC directed METC to file a memorandum in the case detailing how impacted landowners may submit minor route modification requests to the company and to file a monthly report documenting any minor modification requests.
  • METC must provide landowners along the approved routes and adjacent landowners with contact information so that they can communicate concerns to METC about the projects. METC’s monthly reports must detail all communication received from these landowners.
  • METC must investigate every noise complaint received by landowners to ensure there is not a system issue that needs to be addressed.

The projects have been controversial because residents expressed dismay over the lack of public input on the projects and the fact that their concerns regarding routes went largely unheard. Some of the properties in the approved routes run through legacy farm land, and residents are concerned about their property values dipping due to the lines and pending construction activity. Also, ITC/METC, in an attempt to acquire land prior to pending eminent domain proceedings, has allegedly been offering landowners raw deals with few property rights or just compensation.

These projects would usher in the first major Michigan electric transmission line projects in more than a decade, with the PSC reiterating that the need was evident.  In approving the lines, all three PSC members expressed disappointment in the way the company behind the project handled public engagement. ITC/METC responded that they promise to refine their outreach process moving forward.

A PSC representative quoted that Act 30, which outlines guidelines for electric transmission line siting, sets the bar too low for companies and does not give landowners an adequate opportunity to shape the outcome. The low bar of landowner public engagement was another issue with Act 30 that needs to be addressed. Act 30 only requires official notice to landowners directly on routes proposed by a company, and leaves out adjacent properties or those in the general study area where intervenors may propose alternative routes. Although the Act theoretically allows the PSC to approve one of those intervenor-proposed routes, that would mean approving a route on land with owners who were never notified.

To bring greater clarity to the process and ensure that landowners were not treated in the same way again, changes are on the horizon for the state’s application process for large-scale electric transmission line developments. The PSC approved an order that directed staff to develop voluntary filing guidelines for applicants under Act 30. The commission voted unanimously to jumpstart that process as a way to address concerns about Act 30’s lack of clarity on what constitutes an alternative route, to what degree private benefits need to be estimated in advance of a project, and whether the law provides for sufficient and clear interaction between an applicant and a landowner. It is hoped that the upcoming rule making will serve as a critical channel for the public to help shape future Act 30 applications and outcomes.

The Nelson Road–Oneida transmission line project is scheduled to begin construction in Q1 2028 and be completed by Q4 2028. The Helix–Hiple transmission project is scheduled for completion in Q3 2030, while construction is slated to begin in Q1 2029.