In October 2005, ATC became the first utility - and among only five organizations - to be accepted into Wisconsin’s new Green Tier program, which now has 33 participants throughout the state. The program, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, recognizes businesses and organizations that demonstrate superior environmental performance and dedication to continual improvement and strives to encourage responsible environmental decision-making to protect and restore natural resources.

To be admitted into Green Tier, companies must demonstrate a strong environmental compliance record, implement a formal system for including environmental issues in business decision making, participate in external oversight of environmental performance, and show continual, measure improvement.

Participants in the Green Tier program make legal commitments to environmental excellence through contracts and charters negotiated with the DNR.  In exchange, they are given incentives to achieve their environmental goals and improve performance.  The DNR can then focus its resources on orgnaizations and facilities that still need to bring performance up to compliance. 

Acceptance and participation in Green Tier provides us with a means of ensuring internal controls, a systematic method of improving relationships with DNR, and a productive way to change how we and DNR approach environmental resource conservation.  It also recognizes our environmental leadership through our progressive and proactive approach to environmental issues, and acknowledges our reputation as an innovative and forward-thinking organization among regulators and environmental organizations. As a participant in the program, we are committed to incorporating environmental sensitivity, protection and restoration into its design, construction and maintenance of electric transmission lines.

As part of the Green Tier program, we have established the ATC Environmental Stewardship Fund that is administered by the Natural Resources Foundation. The fund serves as a positive action we can take to mitigate for the unavoidable impacts of our business activities and is another way that we can partner with a wide variety of organizations.