MON AM News: MISO approves portfolio of transmission projects; Enbridge spill prompts calls for ‘comprehensive cleanup’

December 16, 2024

— The board for the regional transmission group MISO has OK’d a portfolio with dozens of projects, including several in Wisconsin, that will set the stage for further clean energy investments.

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator handles transmission planning and energy and capacity markets for more than a dozen U.S. states and the Canadian provice Manitoba.

In a recent release, MISO announced its board has approved the Long Range Transmission Planning Tranche 2.1, which includes 23 projects totaling 3,631 miles for regional projects in the Midwest subregion.

The $21.8 billion portfolio’s projects have “benefits potential exceeding $72 billion,” according to the organization’s overview. Projects in Wisconsin are expected to bring 24,000 jobs to the state and have a total economic output of $4.5 billion, according to Clean Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, the board also greenlit 459 local reliability projects totaling 932 miles and $6.7 billion, aimed at improving infrastructure and meeting load growth needs locally.

Clean Wisconsin is touting MISO’s approval of the plan, noting it will support at least 6.6 gigawatts of wind and solar power in Wisconsin, more than double the amount of clean energy currently produced in the state. The group notes all projects will need to be approved by state regulatory agencies, such as Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission.

Ciaran Gallagher, energy and air manager for the Madison-based nonprofit, says more transmission lines will “directly enable a clean electricity future.”

“These lines are vital to support the clean energy projects that are increasingly powering Wisconsin’s economy,” Gallagher said in a statement. “Without this investment, we’ll end up with more harmful coal and gas, higher energy bills, and a greater risk of power outages.”

Six of the transmission projects will be located entirely or partially in Wisconsin, according to Clean Wisconsin, and MISO estimates every dollar spent on these projects in the state will result in up to $5.40 in benefits.

The tranche’s approval comes as MISO is facing new challenges, with more extreme weather events and the clean energy transition putting new stresses on the electricity grid. That’s according to Bob Kuzman, MISO’s director of external affairs for the central region, who spoke during a recent meeting of the 2024 Legislative Council Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Wisconsin.

“We’re trying to build as much transmission as we possibly can as we get new and innovative resources on the system,” he said earlier this month.

To support those efforts, MISO is using AI to automate forecasting and capacity projections, understand future load growth further out and prepare to meet that demand. Kuzman noted data centers, such as Microsoft’s planned $3.3 billion project in southeastern Wisconsin, are “grabbing everbody’s attention” due to their rising energy requirements.

He touted the ability of AI to “help us forecast that growth, and also help us … make sure we have the right generation on at all times, no matter what type of fuel mix it is.”

See the release.

— Environmental advocates are calling for a “thorough accounting and comprehensive cleanup” after Enbridge’s Line 6 pipeline spilled nearly 70,000 gallons of oil in Jefferson County.

In a statement Friday, Sierra Club Wisconsin Director Elizabeth Ward said the Canadian energy company’s “unacceptable track record persists” and tied the spill to the recently filed lawsuit against Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. That suit challenges the company’s efforts to relocate a 12-mile segment of the pipeline and build a new 41-mile segment near the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation in northern Wisconsin.

“We know oil spills like this can and will happen,” Ward said in a statement. “Wisconsinites should not have to live with these risks while Enbridge lines their pockets.”

The spill occurred in the city of Cambridge, where oil was found in the soil by an Enbridge technician, according to a federal incident report from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The leak was linked to a pump transfer pipe at the Enbridge Cambridge Station, which has now been repaired.

“During the investigation, the volume of product released was determined to be greater than that of the original estimates,” the report’s author wrote. “Based on the current volume estimates and observed release rate prior to the repair, this flange was likely leaking for an extended period of time.”

The report notes no wildlife impact or water contamination from the spill, though remediation costs are estimated at more than $890,000. An Enbridge spokesperson said the company estimates 60% of the volume, or 960 barrels, had been recovered as of Sunday afternoon.

“We are working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as cleanup and restoration proceed,” the spokesperson said in an email.

See more in Top Stories below.

— State regulators have approved the Vista Sands Solar Project in Portage County, developers announced.

The proposed 1.3-gigawatt project in the towns of Plover and Grant would be the largest of its kind in the state, according to a release from Doral Renewables. The state Public Service Commission in an oral decision last week approved the installation, the release notes, and will follow up with a written order to finalize its approval.

Once operational, the nearly $2 billion solar installation would produce enough electricity to power more than 200,000 homes in the state, according to a project overview. It’s expected to create about 500 jobs during construction and 50 permanent jobs once online. The developer also notes its utility aid payments would exceed $6 milloin per year to Portage County and the municipalities.

Jon Baker, vice president of development for Doral Renewables and project manager for Vista Sands Solar, says the PSC approval “marks an exciting new chapter for clean energy” in the state and follows years of careful planning.

“Vista Sands’ approval represents a transformative opportunity for local economies in Portage County and a major step forward for Wisconsin in achieving its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Baker said.

A report submitted to the PSC earlier this year says the project would avoid more than 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide being released into the environment in its first year of operation. Project authors wrote reductions in various pollutants would have a $630 million positive economic impact in that first year, due to lower health care costs and ecosystems being preserved.

See project details here.

— November home sales in the greater Milwaukee area held steady over the year as listings fell and prices continued to rise.

That’s according to the latest report from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors, which shows 1,343 homes were sold across Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties last month. That’s just six more than in November 2023, a 0.4% increase.

Across the southeastern region, which wraps in Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties, the total was up 4.1% over the year as 1,788 homes were sold in November.

On a year-to-date basis for the metro area, sales reached 15,488 through November — 2.7% higher than at this point in 2023.

“Given that sales in 2024 have tracked close to 2023, we can safely estimate that the year will end with about 16,500 unit sales,” report authors wrote. “That is essentially flat from 2023, but well below the 25,000+ units needed to meet demand.”

GMAR notes the Milwaukee market was last seeing unit sales around 16,500 “when it was crawling out of” the Great Recession of 2007-09, though the regional economy is much stronger now than at that point. Demand for homes remains robust, as prices rose 4.3% over the year to reach $394,663 in November.

Still, a lack of new home construction and listings are causing sales to lag demand in the region. GMAR reports 1,750 permits for new construction across the four-county area through October — below the 4,000 or so new homes or condominiums the market “needs on an annual basis,” authors note.

The group says its agents “have had an exceedingly challenging time” helping would-be buyers secure condos or single-family homes due to this shortage.

See the report.

— U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is touting the impact of the Affordable Care Act with about a month left in this year’s open enrollment period.

In a Friday webinar held by Protect Our Care Wisconsin, the Madison Dem said “every American deserves affordable, comprehensive care.” She referenced her own health care journey, noting being labeled with a pre-existing condition early in life made it difficult to obtain health coverage.

“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 45 million more Americans have affordable health care,” she said. “As many as 135 million people with pre-existing health conditions cannot be denied coverage.”

She also underlined the impact of ACA tax credits that were extended through the Inflation Reduction Act, “cutting the cost of health care for over 60,000 Wisconsinites.” But those tax credits are due to expire at the end of 2025, and Baldwin is seeking to make them a permanent fixture.

“I’m leading an effort in Congress to do just that, because we cannot jack up health care costs on Wisconsinites,” she said. “And if we let this tax credit expire, over 20 million Americans will see their health insurance costs jacked up, and an estimated 3 million Americans could lose their health insurance entirely.”

The open enrollment period for Wisconsin runs through Jan. 15, and Protect Our Care Wisconsin is promoting the WisCovered.com site for those seeking help with securing health insurance. See more open enrollment information from the state Department of Health Services.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— The Brewers Community Foundation raised more than $4.5 million this year, supporting more than 200 nonprofits in the state.

The team’s foundation today announced the fundraising milestone, bringing its total raised since 2010 to more than $60 million. The release notes every player contributed, along with investors, fans and others. Its 50/50 Raffle alone raised a record $3 million, with half of the proceeds going directly to nonprofits.

The foundation provides grants to Milwaukee County Parks and Milwaukee Public Library, as well as the Sojourner Family Peace Center, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, while also helping other groups such as the Black Excellence & Culture, Special Olympics and more.

“I am proud of the grants we provide throughout Wisconsin to support health, education, recreation and basic needs,” BCF Executive Director Cecelia Gore said in a statement. “We see the impact this support has on essential nonprofit organizations and the people that rely on them.”

See the release.

State regulators approve largest solar project in Wisconsin history

Enlightened Brewing owners open up about what led to closure

TOPICS

CONSTRUCTION

– Mandel Group wants to build four-story apartments at Milwaukee County Research Park in Tosa

EDUCATION

– This year’s FAFSA is open, and early reviews are positive

ENTERTAINMENT & THE ARTS

– Lelia Byron’s latest sculpture greets patients at new UW Health center

ENVIRONMENT

– Leaking valve on oil pipeline spills nearly 70K gallons of oil in Jefferson County