Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 182 - Miscellaneous corporate provisions; turnpike corporations.
182.017 - Transmission lines; privileges; damages.

182.017 Transmission lines; privileges; damages.
(1g) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Commission" means the public service commission.
(b) “Company" means any of the following:
1. A corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or other business entity organized to furnish telegraph or telecommunications service or transmit heat, power, or electric current to the public or for public purposes.
2. An independent system operator, as defined in s. 196.485 (1) (d).
3. An independent transmission owner, as defined in s. 196.485 (1) (dm).
4. A cooperative association organized under ch. 185 or 193 to furnish telegraph or telecommunications service.
5. A cooperative association organized under ch. 185 to transmit heat, power, or electric current to its members.
6. An interim cable operator, as defined in s. 66.0420 (2) (n).
7. A video service provider, as defined in s. 66.0420 (2) (zg).
(bm) “Municipal regulation" means any contract, ordinance, resolution, order, or other regulation entered into, enacted, or issued by a municipality before, on, or after July 2, 2013.
(c) “Municipality" means a city, village, or town.
(cq) “Telecommunications service" means the offering for sale of the conveyance of voice, data, or other information, including the sale of service for collection, storage, forwarding, switching, and delivery incidental to such communication regardless of the technology or mode used to make such offering.
(ct) “Urban rail transit system" means a system, either publicly or privately owned, which provides transportation by rail in a municipality to the public on a regular and continuing basis and which begins service on or after July 2, 2013.
(d) “Video service network" has the meaning given in s. 66.0420 (2) (zb).
(1r) Right-of-way for. Any company may, subject to ss. 30.44 (3m), 30.45, 86.16, and 196.491 (3) (d) 3m. and to reasonable regulations made by any municipality through which its transmission lines or systems may pass, construct and maintain such lines or systems with all necessary appurtenances in, across or beneath any public highway or bridge or any stream or body of water, or upon any lands of any owner consenting thereto, and for such purpose may acquire lands or the necessary easements; and may connect and operate its lines or system with other lines or systems devoted to like business, within or without this state, and charge reasonable rates for the transmission and delivery of messages or the furnishing of heat, power, or electric light.
(2) Not to obstruct public use. But no such line or system or any appurtenance thereto shall at any time obstruct or incommode the public use of any highway, bridge, stream or body of water.
(3) Abandoned lines removed. The commission after a public hearing as provided in s. 196.26, and subject to the right of review as provided in ch. 227, may declare any line to have been abandoned or discontinued, if the facts warrant such finding. Whenever such a finding shall have been made the company shall remove such line, and on failure for 3 months after such finding of abandonment or discontinuance, any person owning land over, through or upon which such line shall pass, may remove the same, or the supervisors of any town within which said lines may be situated, may remove the said lines from the limits of its highways, and such person or supervisors shall be entitled to recover from the company owning the lines the expense for labor involved in removing the property.
(4) Location of poles. In case of dispute as to the location of poles, pipes or conduits, the commissioners appointed in condemnation proceedings under ch. 32 may determine the location. In no case, except where the owner consents, shall poles be set in front of or upon any residence property, or in front of a building occupied for business purposes, unless the commissioners find that the same is necessary and the court may review the finding.
(5) Tree trimming. Any company which shall in any manner destroy, trim or injure any shade or ornamental trees along any such lines or systems, or, in the course of tree trimming or removal, cause any damage to buildings, fences, crops, livestock or other property, except by the consent of the owner, or after the right so to do has been acquired, shall be liable to the person aggrieved in 3 times the actual damage sustained, besides costs.
(6) Municipal franchise required. No lighting or heating corporation or lighting or heating cooperative association shall have any right hereunder in any municipality until it has obtained a franchise or written consent for the erection or installation of its lines from such municipality.
(7) High-voltage transmission lines. Any easement for rights-of-way for high-voltage transmission lines as defined under s. 196.491 (1) (f) shall be subject to all of the following conditions and limitations:
(a) The conveyance under ch. 706 and, if applicable, the petition under s. 32.06 (7), shall describe the interest transferred by specifying, in addition to the length and width of the right-of-way, the number, type and maximum height of all structures to be erected thereon, the minimum height of the transmission lines above the landscape, and the number and maximum voltage of the lines to be constructed and operated thereon.
(b) In determining just compensation for the interest under s. 32.09, damages shall include losses caused by placement of the line and associated facilities near fences or natural barriers such that lands not taken are rendered less readily accessible to vehicles, agricultural implements and aircraft used in crop work, as well as damages resulting from ozone effects and other physical phenomena associated with such lines, including but not limited to interference with telephone, television and radio communication.
(c) In constructing and maintaining high-voltage transmission lines on the property covered by the easement the utility shall:
1. If excavation is necessary, ensure that the top soil is stripped, piled and replaced upon completion of the operation.
2. Restore to its original condition any slope, terrace, or waterway which is disturbed by the construction or maintenance.
3. Insofar as is practicable and when the landowner requests, schedule any construction work in an area used for agricultural production at times when the ground is frozen in order to prevent or reduce soil compaction.
4. Clear all debris and remove all stones and rocks resulting from construction activity upon completion of construction.
5. Satisfactorily repair to its original condition any fence damaged as a result of construction or maintenance operations. If cutting a fence is necessary, a temporary gate shall be installed. Any such gate shall be left in place at the landowner's request.
6. Repair any drainage tile line within the easement damaged by such construction or maintenance.
7. Pay for any crop damage caused by such construction or maintenance.
8. Supply and install any necessary grounding of a landowner's fences, machinery or buildings.
(d) The utility shall control weeds and brush around the transmission line facilities. No herbicidal chemicals may be used for weed and brush control without the express written consent of the landowner. If weed and brush control is undertaken by the landowner under an agreement with the utility, the landowner shall receive from the utility a reasonable amount for such services.
(e) The landowner shall be afforded a reasonable time prior to commencement of construction to harvest any trees located within the easement boundaries, and if the landowner fails to do so, the landowner shall nevertheless retain title to all trees cut by the utility.
(f) The landowner shall not be responsible for any injury to persons or property caused by the design, construction or upkeep of the high-voltage transmission lines or towers.
(g) The utility shall employ all reasonable measures to ensure that the landowner's television and radio reception is not adversely affected by the high-voltage transmission lines.
(h) The utility may not use any lands beyond the boundaries of the easement for any purpose, including ingress to and egress from the right-of-way, without the written consent of the landowner.
(i) The rights conferred under pars. (c) to (h) may be specifically waived by the landowner in an easement conveyance which contains such paragraphs verbatim.
(8) Commission review.
(a) Upon complaint by a company that a regulation by a municipality under sub. (1r) is unreasonable, the commission shall set a hearing and, if the commission finds that the regulation is unreasonable, the regulation shall be void. Subject to pars. (am) to (c), if the commission determines that a municipal regulation that was in effect on January 1, 2007, and immediately prior to January 9, 2008, or that a community standard, as demonstrated through consistent practice and custom in the municipality, that was in effect on January 1, 2007, and immediately prior to January 9, 2008, is substantially the same as the municipal regulation complained of, there is a rebuttable presumption that the latter regulation is reasonable.
(am) A municipal regulation is unreasonable if it has the effect of creating a moratorium on the placement of company lines or systems under sub. (1r) or on the entrance into the municipality of a video service provider, as defined in s. 66.0420 (2) (zg), or is inconsistent with the purposes of s. 66.0420.
(as) Notwithstanding sub. (2), a municipal regulation is unreasonable if it requires a company to pay any part of the cost to modify or relocate the company's facilities to accommodate an urban rail transit system.
(b) A municipal regulation is unreasonable if it requires a company to pay more than the actual cost of functions undertaken by the municipality to manage company access to and use of municipal rights-of-way. These management functions include all of the following:
1. Registering companies, including the gathering and recording of information necessary to conduct business with a company.
2. Except as provided in provided in par. (c), issuing, processing, and verifying excavation or other company permit applications, including supplemental applications.
3. Inspecting company job sites and restoration projects.
4. Maintaining, supporting, protecting, or moving company equipment during work in municipal rights-of-way.
5. Undertaking restoration work inadequately performed by a company after providing notice and the opportunity to correct the work.
6. Revoking company permits.
7. Maintenance of databases.
8. Scheduling and coordinating highway, street, and right-of-way work relevant to a company permit.
(c) A municipal regulation is unreasonable if it requires a company to be responsible for fees under s. 182.0175 (1m) (bm) that may be assessed to a municipality as a member of the one-call system under s. 182.0175.
(d) It is reasonable for a municipal regulation to provide for the recovery of costs incurred under par. (b) 1., 2., 3., and 7. through a preexcavation permit fee.
(e) It is reasonable for a municipal regulation to provide for the recovery of costs incurred under par. (b) 4., 5., and 6. only from the company that is responsible for causing the municipality to incur the costs.
(9) Time limit for permits. If a municipality establishes a permit process under sub. (1r), the municipality shall approve or deny a permit application no later than 60 days after receipt of the application, and, if the municipality fails to do so, the municipality shall be considered to have approved the application and granted the permit. If a municipality denies a permit application, the municipality shall provide the applicant a written explanation of the reasons for the denial at the time that the municipality denies the application.
History: 1971 c. 40; 1975 c. 68, 199; 1979 c. 34, 323; 1985 a. 297 s. 76; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 213, 246, 371; 1997 a. 204; 2005 a. 441; 2007 a. 42; 2011 a. 22; 2013 a. 20 s. 1564m, 1978d to 1978t; 2013 a. 165, 168; 2015 a. 195 s. 82.
Sub. (2) is a safety statute, the violation of which constitutes negligence per se. An allegation that a power pole located within 4 feet of the traveled portion of a roadway violated this provision stated a cause of action. Weiss v. Holman, 58 Wis. 2d 608, 207 N.W.2d 660 (1973).
Sub. (5) is limited to damages arising from the construction, maintenance, or abandonment of facilities within a right-of-way. Vogel v. Grant-Lafayette Electric Cooperative, 195 Wis. 2d 198, 536 N.W.2d 140 (Ct. App. 1995), 94-0822.
Sub. (7) (a) governs what must be specified in a conveyance of an easement. Because the easements here were conveyed prior to the enactment of the statute, the conveyances were not subject to the statute's requirements. The circuit court's conclusion that the utility was required to obtain new easements complying with sub. (7) (a) was premised on its erroneous conclusion that the utility's easement rights were limited by the easements' current use. Wisconsin Public Service Corporation v. Andrews, 2009 WI App 30, 316 Wis. 2d 734, 766 N.W.2d 232, 07-2673.

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