BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – A major infrastructure initiative could bring massive new high-voltage power lines through portions of Branch County as part of a multi-county electric grid modernization effort.
ITC Holdings Corp., through its subsidiary ITC Transmission, has announced its intent to construct the “Horizon Project,” a new 765-kilovolt electric transmission line designed to span approximately 68 miles from the Horizon Substation in Monroe County’s Ida Township to the Indiana-Michigan border.
While exact paths have not yet been finalized, the preliminary project area extends through portions of Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Monroe counties.
In a formal notice to the Branch County Planning Commission, ITC revealed it has partnered with engineering firm Burns & McDonnell to evaluate potential paths and inventory local social, cultural, and natural resources to help guide the final routing process.
The massive project, developed under the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) regional Long-Range Transmission Plan, will require a 250-foot-wide right-of-way.
The line will feature utility structures standing between 150 to 185 feet tall, spaced roughly 1,200 to 1,450 feet apart depending on local terrain and site conditions.
According to project documents, the infrastructure investment aims to bolster electric grid resilience during extreme weather, accommodate a transitioning energy landscape, and lower overall delivery costs for ratepayers.
Local municipalities and it’s residents, urged to provide feedback regarding potential routing constraints, environmental impacts, and land use considerations.
Public and agency input must be submitted to the project’s routing team by October 30, 2026, before ITC advances to establishing definitive route corridors.
In 2025 ITC’s Helix-Hiple transmission line was approved to run 55 miles from the Michigan-Indiana border in Gilead Township north through Branch County to the Helix Substation in Calhoun County.
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