The Citizens' Utility Board (CUB) has filed a lawsuit in Marathon County charging that the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) ignored less destructive and less expensive alternatives to the Duluth to Wausau (Arrowhead) transmission line.

CUB's lawsuit seeks to overturn the PSC's decision to approve the costly project.  The lawsuit by the utility watchdog is one of three that have been filed by citizen groups objecting to the PSC's transmission line decision.  S.O.U.L. (Save Our Unique Lands) and Wisconsin's Environmental Decade have also filed suit.

"CUB once again finds the need to turn to the courts to overturn a PSC decision to protect the public interest," says Steve Hiniker, Executive Director of the Citizens' Utility Board.

The group's lawsuit focuses on the PSC's rejection of superior alternatives to the Arrowhead project.  CUB noted that during the Arrowhead proceeding, PSC staff had identified alternatives that would have caused far less environmental impact, created fewer landowner conflicts and would have been less expensive to construct.

In their decision, the PSC acknowledged that these alternatives were technically comparable to Arrowhead but rejected those alternatives despite a statutory requirement to consider alternatives that are in the public interest.

"The PSC had the opportunity to authorize alternatives to Arrowhead that would have caused significantly less environmental damage, created far fewer landowner conflicts and cost less.  Instead, the PSC once again sided with the utilities and trampled on the public interest," noted Steve Hiniker, Executive Director of the Citizens' Utility Board.

"We look forward to an objective review of the PSC actions," concluded Hiniker.