The quest to build a major power line across Dane County has shifted into a debate over whether the line should be buried or strung on giant towers above ground.
American Transmission Co. of Pewaukee wants to begin operating the line by 2013 to help the fast-growing Madison area keep up with rising demand for electricity.
Concerns about the line prompted the mayor of Madison, the head of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum and the Public Service Commission to urge that the company study the possibility of burying the line in key stretches.