|
Project Updates
Construction of a new electric transmission line in Dodge County continues this month. The transmission facilities that serve the communities of Beaver Dam, Hustisford, and Horicon have been operating at maximum capacity and cannot accommodate growth in electric usage or maintain service in the event of an equipment failure. The new, 15-mile 138-kilovolt line connects a new substation east of Horicon with a substation south of Neosho. The new line is scheduled to go into service in June.
A pre-construction open house is scheduled for May 14 in the Alvin Town Hall in Florence County to kick of the rebuild of power lines between Conover, Wis., and Quinnesec, Mich. Construction also is beginning on a new substation near Iron River, Mich., as part of the Cranberry-Conover-Plains project.
The final wires are being pulled along the Saukville-St. Lawrence line in Washington and Ozaukee counties. The 20-year old transmission line is being upgraded to accommodate additional output from a new generator going into service at We Energies’ Port Washington Power Plant.
News of note in Michigan
We are in the early stages of convening a new Upper Peninsula Energy Collaborative to involve stakeholders in medium- and long-term planning. Changes in the mix of large customers and potential generators in the UP warrant more collaboration with customers and others to plan transmission needs.
Also, we filed comments with the Michigan Public Service Commission reporting on the status of our Upper Peninsula system upgrades and our ability to meet 2008 peak demands. Assuming minimum levels of local generation in the UP are available during contingency conditions, we foresee no problems.
Osprey Update
An osprey pair has settled in on the nesting platform we featured in last months’ Transmission e*dition. Read more about the raptors in this Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article. The Cedarburg Bog ospreys also were featured in an article from the Appleton Post-Crescent.
|
| Osprey nests are erected in several areas throughout ATC's service territory. |
|
More birds and power lines....
|
An eagle observes progress along the Cranberry-Conover transmission line in Vilas County recently. |
|
ATC donates to Trees for Tomorrow
Eight cords of wood might make for an unusual donation to a non-profit group, but Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River was happy to accept such a gift from us. The wood came from trees cleared for construction of the Cranberry-Conover transmission line, and will be cut into firewood for use in the dormitories and academic building fireplaces on the campus. Trees for Tomorrow offers field-based programs that place students and teachers in direct contact with natural resources that support human needs. Read more about it at the Trees for Tomorrow Web site. (www.TreesForTomorrow.com)
Helicoptor inspections underway
 |
| Transmission lines are periodically inspected by air. |
|
For several weeks each spring, ATC maintenance crews board a helicopter and inspect portions of the electric transmission system by air. This approach allows crews to get a different view of the equipment and facilities and is less costly than an on-foot inspection. If something is spotted from the air that needs attention, the work is sometimes also done by air from awork platform. A second round of aerial inspections are done again in the fall, and on-foot inspections are done every few years.
To inspect the lines, the helicopters fly above the transmssion structures at a height of only 100 to 150 feet above the ground and are likely heard and see by residents who live or work nearby. Most of the work is done on weekdays; early mornings are avoided when weekend inspection work is needed.
|
| Maintenance work is often performed from a platform that attaches to a helicopter. |
|
ATC in the Community
Nearly 200 students at Appleton North High School learned about ATC, its construction program and environmental stewardship activities at a pre-Earth Day assembly on April 21. Jon Keener, environmental project manager, Tom Schemm construction project manager and Joe Pagliara, environmental consultant from NRC, made the presentation.
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.
|
ATC is a Green Tier company, selected by the Wisconsin DNR for demonstrating superior environmental performance and continual improvement. |
|
