Arrowhead-Weston goes LIVE!

What’s new in our portfolio?

One of the largest electric transmission line construction projects in North America was recently completed when the Arrowhead-Weston line was placed in service. The 220-mile line has the capacity to move up to 800 megawatts of electricity – enough to power more than 250,000 homes. The line, which connects Duluth, Minn., with Wausau, Wis., accommodates growth in electricity demand in northern Wisconsin and improves regional reliability. Planning for the line began in 1998 and construction began in 2004. With cooperation from Wisconsin Public Service, Minnesota Power and many local contractors, work on the line was completed safely, seven months ahead of schedule and within budget.

Arrowhead-Weston by the numbers 

1,564 structures

50 million pounds of steel

350 million pounds of concrete – enough to fill Miller Park in Milwaukee!

Thousands of miles of wire

Construction continues to move along smoothly on the Gardner Park-Central Wisconsin and Morgan-Werner West projects in central Wisconsin. These two 50-mile, 345-kilovolt lines are needed to connect new generation from Wisconsin Public Service Corp.’s Weston power plant to the transmission grid, and to relieve congestion on other transmission facilities in the Fox Valley and Green Bay areas. Construction began in mid-2007 and is about 50 percent complete. Both lines should be energized by late 2009.

In preparation for construction, tree clearing activities will begin on the Crivitz-High Falls rebuilding project in Marinette County later this month. This 14-mile, double-circuit 69-kV power line was built in 1910 to transport power from several hydroelectric generators to Green Bay. Two interesting facts: many of the lattice-steel structures on this line were ordered from the Sears, Roebuck Co. (originally sold as windmill platforms!) and one circuit will remain energized during construction since this line is a critical component to electric system operations.

ATC in the community

 Our employees in Wausau are supporting Habitat for Humanity’s Mardi Gras fundraiser this month. The local chapter has been building homes in the greater Wausau area for nearly 20 years. In 2007, we partnered with our contractors, Kenny Construction and PAR Electric to build a garage at a Habitat home.

 Packers fans at all ATC work locations paid for the opportunity to display their football gear and pride on Friday, Jan. 18 before the team headed into the NFC championship game.  More than $1,000 was raised for Deanna Favre’s Hope Foundation.  

Did you know?

"Smart grid” demonstration project shows potential for conservation

 In a year-long study funded primarily by the Department of Energy, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and other partners demonstrated the potential for consumers to achieve significant energy savings through the use of “smart grid technologies.”  More than 100 homeowners participated in the GridWise Project that combined computer technology and market signals to help reduce their energy use. Everyday household appliances, including water heaters, clothes dryers and thermostats, were equipped with specially designed processors that could detect stress on the transmission grid and automatically reduce energy consumption at those critical moments.

One study participant all but shut down his home’s electric load when he went on camping trips. On the way home, he’d stop at a coffee shop to use his wireless laptop to signal the system to re-engage power. He returned to a warm house with plenty of hot water.

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