ATC in the news: Vilas County News Review editorial

DNR Utility Permit - posted July 2007

DNR Utility Permit Cover Letter - posted July 2007

DNR Utility Permit Tables - posted July 2007

Project overview

The electric transmission infrastructure serving northern Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan is in need of reinforcement. Significant growth has occurred in the Rhinelander/Eagle River area, resulting in an overloaded system that is vulnerable to interruptions and even blackouts under severe conditions. The lines to the east that connect northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula are the most severely constrained in the ATC system. The constraints limit ATC's ability to move power in and out of the Upper Peninsula, requiring higher-cost generators on the system to run more often, costing ATC customers million of dollars a year. In addition, there is limited ability to schedule maintenance on these lines, resulting in reduced reliability and increased operating costs.

ATC will build a new 138-kilovolt, 16 mile line between Eagle River and Conover, and convert about 73 miles of existing lines between Lakota Road and Quinnesec, Mich., from 69 kilovolts to 138 kilovolts.

At a glance
Communities affected: Eagle River, Conover and Florence, Wis.; Iron River and Quinnesec, Mich.; improved reliability will benefit northern Wisconsin and the western areas of the Upper Peninsula
Length of line: Cranberry (Eagle River)-Conover 16 miles; rebuilding a 73-mile existing transmission line between Conover and Quinnesec.
End points: Cranberry Substation in Eagle River to Conover Substation in Conover, Wis.; Conover Substation to Plains Substation in Quinnesec Voltage: Cranberry-Conover 138 kilovolts; Conover-Plains upgrade from 69-kilovolts to 138-kilovolts
Status of project: Project approved by the PSC in November 2006; construction on the Cranberry-Conover segment to begin in August 2007.

Schedule
File construction application to PSC: November 2005
Regulatory review and public comment: Late 2005
Project approval from PSC: November 2006
Start of construction: August 2007 (Cranberry-Conover)

Anticipated completion: June 2008 (Cranberry-Conover)

Anticipated start of construction: June 2008 (Conover-Plains)
In-service: June 2010 (Conover-Plains)

For more information or to comment, e-mail Lee Meyerhofer or call 1-866-899-3204, ext. 6572.