NOVI — A proposed high-voltage transmission line stretching from Oneida in Eaton County to a new Sabine Lake substation in Livingston County is emerging as one of the most significant energy infrastructure projects Michigan has seen in years — not because of its size alone, but because of what it represents about the future of the electric grid.
The 50-mile, 345-kilovolt line, proposed by ITC Michigan, is part of a much larger, multi-state effort to rebuild and expand the Midwest’s transmission network as electricity demand rises and power generation shifts. While the project will physically run through Michigan communities, its origins — and much of its cost — lie beyond the state’s borders.
At stake is hundreds of millions of dollars in regional grid investment, years of regulatory review, and long-term impacts for landowners, farmers, and ratepayers. ITC Michigan hosted a press conference Dec. 18 to discuss the project. ITC Michigan President Chuck Marshall said it was too early in the process to provide a cost estimate.
Why the line is being built
The Oneida–Sabine Lake project is included in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) Long-Range Transmission Plan, Tranche 2.1, approved by MISO’s board in December 2024…