Michigan power line project seeks public input as landowner opposition continues

A new route enters view

A Novi-based transmission company is shaping a proposed power line route from Oneida Township in Eaton County to Cohoctah Township in Livingston County through early planning work and review.

Its path matters because communities, landowners, officials, and regulators will examine how a preferred corridor affects property questions, meetings, and final route choices before the project gains construction authority.

Regional grid plan drives proposal

The project fits within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s 2024 second tranche, a reliability plan built around a 765-kilovolt backbone spanning 3,631 planned transmission miles across the Midwest.

The $21.8 billion framework gives ITC Michigan a regional basis for the Oneida-Sabine Lake line, while local routing still requires public review and approval before construction can proceed.

ITC outlines its role

ITC Michigan operates much of the Lower Peninsula transmission system, which places the company at the center of moving this proposed corridor toward state review and regulatory approval.

The company presents the line as one piece of a broader reliability effort, rather than a stand-alone project serving a single county or township in isolation from regional planning.

State rules set the process

State law requires a certificate for a major transmission line that is more than 5 miles long and transfers electricity at 345 kV or more, ITC Michigan President Charles Marshall said.

That request goes to state energy regulators, placing the project inside a formal review before ITC can receive authority to build the selected route under the certificate process.

Construction plan duties follow

ITC must file a construction plan with the Michigan Public Service Commission and provide that document to municipalities affected by the proposed route before required public sessions begin.

The company also must offer meetings with top elected officials and host public sessions in each municipality where transmission infrastructure would be placed under the submitted construction plan.

Public input shapes route choices

Before filing, ITC needs to name a preferred route and alternatives, giving community comments a clearer role before regulators begin formal review of the project’s routing choices.

Marshall described engagement as a way to gather local details on land, roads, boundaries, and sensitive areas across the study area before route selection moves forward with regulators.

Fun fact: Michigan became a state on January 26, 1837, and officially entered the Union as the 26th state.

Early talks started with blank maps

Ben Tirrell said ITC began community conversations in 2025 with local officials and leaders before drawing proposed routes across the greater Lansing region for broader discussion and review.

Participants reviewed a blank map, marked places to avoid, noted lower-conflict areas, and identified possible openings for a high-voltage line before engineers developed route concepts for public review.

Little-known fact: Michigan’s capital shifted from Detroit to Lansing in 1847, and Lansing has served as the official capital continuously ever since.

Landowner open houses come next

ITC held more community meetings in January and February, and then scheduled July 2026 open houses for landowners living within one mile of proposed routes near the corridor options.

Those sessions give affected residents another chance to ask questions, describe property concerns, and understand how the company may narrow route choices before its fall 2026 filing with regulators.

Final engagement has a 2027 target

Tirrell said the last public engagement phase should begin in the first quarter of 2027, after more landowner outreach across proposed areas within the project corridor is complete.

ITC plans to file its construction plan in fall 2026, with public meetings expected in 2027 before regulators decide the final route during formal siting review and approval.

Residents can mark concerns online

ITC is also using a public feedback dashboard and email comments, giving residents two ways to share route concerns during planning and routing reviews before filing with regulators.

The dashboard lets people mark exact areas along proposed routes and leave location-based comments, creating another record before ITC selects routes for formal commission review with state regulators.

Earlier projects drew criticism

The new outreach effort follows criticism from earlier projects approved by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator in 2022, when residents challenged ITC’s engagement before state regulators during related reviews.

The Michigan Public Service Commission later developed voluntary guidelines after concerns about limited engagement in prior Michigan Electric Transmission Company projects reached the formal record for high-voltage line cases.

Landowner lawyers enter the debate

Attorney Stephon Bagne said people potentially affected by the Oneida-Sabine Lake project have already contacted him while route planning continues across proposed areas in Michigan communities under review.

He argued that property owners gain leverage when many parcels organize together, especially during right-of-way talks involving technical terms and compensation issues that can shape final agreements for landowners.

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Township opposition meets state authority

Williamstown Township and Meridian Township adopted resolutions opposing new lines in their communities, placing formal local opposition in the route review process before state regulators act on construction.

Bagne said those resolutions carry limited legal weight because a Public Service Commission certificate would preempt local zoning if regulators approve construction for the selected route after formal review.

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What stands out more in Michigan, expanded public input on the proposed power line project or continued landowner opposition shaping the route debate? Share your thoughts.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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