Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

ITC Michigan is planning a new route for its Oneida-Sabine Lake transmission line, with more community engagement sessions planned this summer, according to an update from company officials Tuesday. The 50-mile 345-kilovolt line will stretch from Cohoctah Township in Livingston County, west into Eaton County.

ITC Michigan owns and maintains 9,100 miles of transmission lines that shuttle electricity into, out of and around the Lower Peninsula, and officials say the expansion is needed to cut back on power outages, save ratepayers money and make way for economic growth.

Minor changes to the original plan were made following public meetings on the project held earlier this year.

"We invited them to meetings to share their perspectives. We presented them with a blank map of really the greater Lansing region and asked them what type of things ITC should consider. What are areas that we should avoid, where would there be potential opportunities for such a line, and took all that information back," said Ben Tirrell, a regional manager for local and government affairs for ITC.

Tirrell also highlighted the project’s dashboard, where residents can identify locations along the route and leave a comment. Or they can email their comments directly.

ITC has several public meetings planned next month, including July 29-30 at Fowlerville Elementary School. Both are scheduled from 12 pm to 7 pm in the school cafeteria.
Anyone living within a mile of the proposed line will be notified to attend.

ITC plans to file its construction plan this fall, with additional public meeting in 2027. The company will then make its case before the Michigan Public Service Commission for final approval.

More information is linked below.