Warm weather is on the way and we are preparing to head into peak electric demand season.
In each edition of the newsletter, we’ll share construction project developments, regulatory and industry news, upcoming events and other activities of interest.
Visit our site often….if you’d like to submit a story idea or have a question, send us a note at info@atcllc.com.
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NEW Zoo representatives visited our De Pere office with a few animals as part of Earth Day activities. This three-banded armadillo was one of the featured guests. Our Madison office hosted a speaker from the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to recognize the importance of environmental stewardship. In May, our Pewaukee staff will welcome a herpetologist and some reptile friends, then head to the woods next to the office for a clean-up. |
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What’s new in our transmission portfolio?
A new, four-mile line in eastern Dane County was placed in service earlier this year, supporting Madison-area electricity needs and providing back-up to other critical electric facilities. The 138-kV Femrite-Sprecher line is a short-term upgrade that helps buy us time to develop additional, larger projects in the county. The project was completed several months ahead of time and under budget.
Construction also began this spring on the 11-mile Venus-Metonga 115-kV transmission line near Crandon. Initial activities included forestry clearing and installation of structure foundations. The line is needed to address local reliability issues in Lincoln and Forest counties, and to serve a new substation being built by Wisconsin Public Service.
Crews are working to meet June in-service deadline for the Gardner Park-Hilltop project in Wausau. We are rebuilding a 115-kV line and adding another circuit in the existing 11-mile corridor between the Kronenwetter and Stettin.
New reliability standards in place this summer; outlook similar to 2006
Mandatory reliability standards for the electric industry will become effective June 4. For the first time, the North American Electric Reliability Council will have authority to enforce reliability standards that carry penalties of up for $1 million per day per violation. Previously, the industry operated under a self-policing, voluntary reliability regime. Congress delegated enforcement authority to NERC after the eastern blackout in 2003.
Teresa Mogensen, ATC’s director of operations, says the reliability outlook for this summer is comparable to last year. “While we have a few more elements in service, most notably the southern portion of the Arrowhead-Weston project and the rebuilt Plains-Stiles line, we still have major construction projects underway, and that increases operating risk,” she explained. Wisconsin remains a net importer of power – about 14 percent of the electricity used here comes from out of state – and we are gaining experience each year as a competitive market influences power flows.
2006 Annual Report available
Reliability is the theme of our 2006 annual report. The report highlights accomplishments in planning, operations, construction and asset management, and also profiles the importance of reliability to large energy users within the ATC footprint. The report is available on our Web site. For a hard copy, e-mail us your name and address.
Read about our partnerships and protection practices in our environmental annual report, also available on our Web site.
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