Utilities Complete High-Voltage Transmission Line Linking Iowa and Wisconsin

The 102-mile Cardinal-Hickory Creek line aims to improve electrical reliability and support renewable energy projects.

The Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line, spanning 102 miles between Dubuque County, Iowa, and Dane County, Wisconsin, has been completed and fully energized.
Construction began in April 2021 and concluded late last week, with the line becoming operational on Thursday.
The project is a collaboration between American Transmission Company, Dairyland Power Cooperative, and ITC Midwest.
A federal lawsuit filed by conservation groups in March sought to block the final mile of construction, citing potential damage to the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
John Podesta, senior advisor to President Joe Biden on international climate policy, praised the project for bringing clean, affordable power to the Midwest.