10.03.2006  Editorial urges community to keep power line plans on track

2.05.2006  Editorial supports Energy Initiative; says study is fair, helpful

If you've lived or worked in Dane County for any length of time, you know that the county is growing rapidly. In fact, in some rural areas of Dane County, electricity usage is growing at a rate three to four times the statewide average. This translates to the need for electric transmission lines. The continued and future reliability of electric service in Dane County is heavily dependent on the condition of the high- voltage transmission network in and around the county. All of the transmission improvements planned for Dane County represent a deliberate and coordinated series of initiatives to provide the right solutions at the right time.

The establishment of the Dane County Energy Initiative in 2003 led to a collaborative effort of public advocacy groups, environmental organizations and Wisconsin utilities who worked together to analyze the present and electric system needs in Dane County and to make recommendations for the best options for meeting the needs. Members of the Energy Initiative examined forecasts of the demand for electricity in Dane County through 2020. Next, the Energy Initiative analyzed whether new transmission lines and other alternatives such as energy efficiency, demand management, distributed generation (small power plants), large power plants, renewable energy, or a combination of measures could best meet the future need for electricity in the county.

A comprehensive report issued one year later concluded that a series of four major transmission projects were needed to keep pace with demand. The EI found that a major new transmission line would be needed by 2011 and every few years thereafter to meet growing electric demand and to reinforce the broader network or grid. These major initiatives are above and beyond shorter-term projects already planned or proposed that are needed to support local distribution systems, which must be reinforced when business and residential development expands to areas that previously were rural. Learn more about the Energy Initiative and read the report.

The four major projects planned for Dane County between 2011 and 2015 include:

1)  An 8-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line from North Madison to Waunakee with a planned in-service date of 2008.

2)  A 50-mile, 345-kilovolt line Rockdale to West Middleton Transmission Line with a planned in-service date of 2011.

3)  A new 345-kilovolt line between West Middleton and the North Madison Substation in the Town of Vienna with a planned in-service date of 2015.

4)  A new 138-kilovolt transmission line upgrade between the West Middleton Substation and the Blount Street Substation with a planned in-service date of 2015.

Dane County System Map (397k pdf)
Other projects in Dane County

For more information or to comment on these projects, e-mail Charlie Gonzales or call 1-866-899-3204, extension 3644.