Overview

Electricity usage has almost doubled in the last 30 years, yet very few additions have been made to the electric transmission system during that time. Wisconsin Public Service Corp. is building a 500-megawatt addition to its Weston Power Plant south of Wausau. The transmission system that carries electricity from the existing power plant was built in the 1950s and is inadequate to deliver the increased output from the new generator.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has approved ATC's application to construct a new 345-kilovolt transmission line from a new substation, Gardner Park, located just south of the existing Weston Power Plant, to a new substation, called Central Wisconsin, in central Shawano County.

This approximately 50-mile line will interconnect with a new 345-kilovolt line (Morgan-Werner West Project) to link the existing Morgan Substation, southwest of Oconto Falls, to a new substation called Werner West in the New London area.

At a glance
Communities affected: Villages of Weston and Rothschild and Towns of Kronenwetter, Reid and Elderon in Marathon County; Towns of Wittenberg, Fairbanks, Morris, Grant, Pella and Belle Plaine in Shawano County; all of northeastern Wisconsin will benefit from improved reliability.
Length of line: Approximately 50 miles
End points: Gardner Park Substation (Weston) and Central Wisconsin Switching Station (proposed to be located adjacent to the Badger Substation in the Town of Belle Plaine)
Voltage: 345 kilovolts
Type of structure: single steel pole  view pole (616k pdf)
Height of poles: 105 to 155 feet
Status of project: Construction underway in some segments. Visit www.atc-gcmw.com for further details.

Schedule
Regulatory review and public comment: through early 2006
Decision expected from PSC: June 2006
Anticipated construction start: Mid 2007
Anticipated in-service date: December 2009

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