Facility relocation

Resources for municipal developments near transmission lines.

Planning a new road, parking lot or other development near high-voltage electric transmission lines?

If your municipality is planning a development where facilities owned by American Transmission Co. exist, it’s essential you talk to ATC as early as possible, by contacting us at municipalrequests@atcllc.com. We want your project to be successful, completed on time and above all – safe. Talking to ATC representatives early on can potentially spare you months of project planning time, and save you upwards of millions of dollars.

For a thorough review to be conducted, you will need to submit a complete set of your plans to ATC that includes grading, utility, landscaping and lighting proposals. By submitting your project plans to ATC, we will help determine if moving an ATC facility is necessary or feasible. This review process typically takes four weeks.

What are ATC facilities?

ATC owns and operates the high-voltage transmission system in portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. The transmission lines in ATC’s service area carry high-voltage electricity from where the energy is produced to where it’s needed. ATC owns and operates both overhead and underground transmission lines throughout the region, and these lines can operate at 69,000 to 345,000 kilovolts.

The majority of ATC’s facilities are above ground on overhead transmission lines. These poles and wires are typically taller in height than lower-voltage distribution lines from your local utility. Engineering, siting, material acquisition and construction to move an overhead line can take more than a year to accomplish. 

ATC’s underground transmission lines require special consideration for any planned construction. Some high-voltage transmission lines are contained within a high-pressure, fluid-filled coated steel pipe. Other underground transmission lines are direct-buried, while others are encased within concrete duct packages. You don’t have to expose or contact an underground line to cause damage. ATC’s underground transmission system is complex; therefore relocation for an underground system can typically take more than two years.

ATC will actively work with you to accommodate joint use of our transmission corridors

However, any uses that interfere with, obstruct, restrict or endanger the use of our facilities will not be permitted. ATC has the right to construct, replace, operate, maintain, reconstruct and access the transmission lines in a safe and timely manner.

Types of municipal projects that may impact ATC facilities

There are many compatible uses for the land that houses ATC’s transmission lines. Some uses may not be compatible, so it’s always important to check with ATC. A few of these developments are:

Planning your project near ATC transmission lines

Construction considerations:

Soil and excavation considerations:

Did you know?
  1. The Wisconsin Administrative Code prohibits new homes from being built under power lines. 
  2. The underlying land rights determine the party responsible for relocating an ATC facility.
  3. Before you dig, always remember to call 811 to reach your local one-call center.
Details

Maintain contact

When construction plans require work near overhead or underground transmission lines, please email us at municipalrequests@atcllc.com. Transmission facility relocation takes a great deal of time, and the cost for facility relocation can be substantial. Contact us early in your planning process so that your project can be successful, completed on time, and above all – safe.