Project Updates

We recently received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to upgrade the 345-kilovolt line between the Arpin and Rocky Run substations in Wood and Portage counties in Wisconsin. The King-Eau Claire-Arpin-Rocky Run line is a critical source for transmission system reliability and large transfers of power into Wisconsin from Minnesota. Originally built in 1965, Northern States Power rebuilt its portion of the line from King to Arpin in recent years. With the Arrowhead-Weston line now energized, we are able to perform maintenance projects such as this with less planning, lower risk of outages and at a lower cost. In fact, we were able to reduce the cost of this project by $1.6 million because the Arrowhead-Weston line will support the system when Arpin-Rocky Run is taken out of service during construction.

After more than five years of planning and construction, we completed conversion of 16 miles of transmission lines in Walworth and Rock counties to 138 kilovolts. The line is providing immediate benefits to residents and businesses in Walworth County, and is a key milestone in a 30-mile conversion project that will strengthen the electric system that serves the growing counties. The recently energized line runs between substations in Elkhorn and the Town of Darien. The remainder of the conversion project will be completed this summer.

As part of our Gardner Park-Central Wisconsin and Morgan-Werner West projects, we recently energized a 138-kV circuit from the Werner West Substation near New London to the Clintonville Substation. That line will bolster reliability in Waupaca and Outagamie counties.

More than 65 people testified at public hearings on the Rockdale-West Middleton project at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin office in Madison last month. About an equal number of people attended and did not offer testimony. Technical hearings with subject-matter expertise offered testimony in a separate set of hearings the following week. A decision is expected this summer.

Did you know?

April 22 is Earth Day.  Employees in our Madison office will spend the day cleaning the parking lot and an adjacent wetland and will celebrate with a potluck lunch featuring foods seasoned with green and brown spices. Employees also will take a tour of the wetland that week, led by Betsy Day of Natural Resources Consulting, one of our environmental contractors. Betsy will explain the function and value of wetlands.  Since every day SHOULD be Earth Day, our other offices have plans to celebrate with activities in May.

Two geese and a duck swim in a pond located in a wetland adjacent to our Madison office.

On-site photovoltaics will provide about 12.5 percent of the energy used in ATC’s new headquarters facility currently under construction in Pewaukee.

ATC is building a new corporate headquarters facility in Pewaukee, Wis.  The general contractor is well on its way to achieving our goal of recycling at least 50 percent of the construction waste generated at the site. Construction of the 118,000-square-foot facility and 34,000-square-foot control center generated more than 343 tons of cardboard, concrete, waste and office paper in 2008, of which more than 90 percent has been recycled. The office building is designed to meet the gold certification of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Some of the energy efficiency features that will greet the 275 employees who will move to the facility in fall 2009 include high performance mechanical and electrical systems, a heat recovery system, exterior window shades and interior light shelves. On-site photovoltaics will provide about 12.5 percent of the energy used in the office. A reflective roof membrane, along with a vegetative tray system, will provide insulation and reduce building-heat “island” effect. The tray system also will reduce water run-off from the roof, helping to manage water on the site.

We recently filed our Green Tier annual report with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The report highlights progress made in our corporate environmental goals last year. Of note are the formation of internal Green Teams to create awareness of and involvement in environmental issues, our continuing role in habitat preservation for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly, and a new effort to measure and report emissions of sulfur hexafluoride, or SF6.  SF6 is a potent greenhouse gas commonly used in electric transmission and distribution equipment. The gas may be released to the atmosphere when new equipment is being filled or through leaks as equipment nears the end of its life. Improvements to measuring and reporting leaks are the first step in reducing such emissions.

Invite an ATC representative to speak to your group

Let us tell you and your service group or professional organization more about ATC. Simply e-mail us at localrelations@atcllc.com and indicate a topic area you're interested in, such as new projects, environmental commitment, vegetation management, or electric transmission.  We'll work with you to schedule a speaker for an upcoming meeting.