Project Updates

We have entered into two agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy, accepting grants totaling $12.7 million to invest in smart grid technologies to be incorporated into the transmission system. The grants are among 100 made nationwide – totaling $3.4 billion – by the DOE to advance smart grid technologies. A $1.3 million grant will be used to help equip substations with phasor measurement units, a new technology for monitoring the status of the grid in real time. A second $11.4 million grant will assist in extending the use of fiber optic cable to enhance communication between our substations and control centers.

Did you know?

Just as humans in Wisconsin shake off cabin fever each spring, animals become more active and visible, too. Just recently, our representatives spied a woodchuck underneath a structure on the Paddock-Rockdale transmission line. During the winter, we attempted to relocate an osprey nest off a transmission line structure in Door County to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve. The raptor apparently didn’t take to the new digs; he just moved down the line to a larger structure along the south side of the canal.
A muskrat couple have made a home in one of the retention ponds at our headquarters in Pewaukee. The two are currently avoiding the live traps; they must really enjoy the area and are not ready to relocate just yet.

Customer Connections

The Cascade work management system will be upgraded this spring. The system is used not only by our personnel, but also by our customers and their contractors/mobile workforce. The upgrade also will involve replacing aging field computers to improve overall system performance and workflow. The system will need to be taken out of service to complete the work; currently, we anticipate the system outage will begin in late May and run through early June. We are looking at ways to keep the outage length to a minimum, and the system improvements should eliminate the need for extended outages during future upgrades. We will keep all users affected by the upgrade informed as we refine the timeline for the outage. Questions about the upgrade should be directed to Mike Mizerek, 920-338-6544, for substation support;  Jackie Novitski, 920-338-6532, for transmission line support; or the Cascade help line at 866-506-6114.

ATC hosts Network Customer Meetings three times per year. 2010 meetings will occur from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on the dates listed below.  A teleconference option will also be available for those unable to attend in person. 

Thursday, Aug. 12 – De Pere, Wis.

ATC in the Community

We participated in a middle school career fair in Clintonville last month. More than 800 students from schools in Shawano and Waupaca counties attended, learning about careers in health care, utilities, communications, agriculture and the military, among others. Students visited booths to ask exhibitors questions about their profession; they were rewarded with “thank you for asking” coupons that were entered into prize drawings throughout the day.

Transmission Line Engineer Nicole Young, left foreground, explains the composition of a section of an underground cable to a student from New London Middle School at a recent career fair. Crystal Koles, environmental project manager, answers questions from another group of students. Over 800 students attended the event.

As part of Earth Week, employees in our Madison office asked their co-workers to clean out their closets to donate to Koats for Kids, a program of the Community Action Coalition in Dane County to provide coats and winter accessories to families in need. A local dry cleaner freshens the clothes before distribution in October. All together, employees contributed 32 coats along with 15 winter hats, a dozen pairs of mittens, six pairs of snow pants, five scarves and four pairs of boots.

Julie Purves, senior real estate technical assistant at the Fen Oak office donates coats to the drive.

Michelle Stokes (left) and Crystal Koles, environmental project managers in our De Pere office, explain the environmental impacts being studied on the Canal-Dunn Road project in Door County to Laura Poels.  Laura is a junior at Green Bay Southwest High School and is participating in a job-shadowing event sponsored by Current, the Young Professionals Network of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

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.   

ATC is a Green Tier company, selected by the Wisconsin DNR for demonstrating superior environmental performance and continual improvement.