American Transmission Company: Announces second year of program to sponsor community planting

Contact: 877-506-6117


Applications accepted now through Sept. 30

PEWAUKEE, Wis. – American Transmission Co. this month began accepting applications for its community planting program, now in its second year. ATC’s recently launched Grow Smart program supports tree and vegetation planting in municipalities in its service area. Eligible cities, villages, towns, counties and tribes may apply for financial support for these planting projects on public property within their community. Last year, ATC awarded $74,500 to 59 eligible municipalities and counties within ATC’s service area through this program.

To qualify, communities must commit that all current and future planting plans and urban forestry activities near high-voltage electric transmission lines will comply with ATC’s maintenance standards. “Priority will favor projects that promote safety and reliability of the transmission system the smart way – by using best management practices and keeping trees out of the right-of-way,” said ATC Environmental and Local Relations Manager Greg Levesque. “This program helps us support efforts to beautify communities in a manner that is consistent with our safety and maintenance standards.”

ATC began accepting applications on June 1 and will continue to do so through Sept. 30. ATC will accept one application per community, and recipients will be selected by the end of the calendar year. Awards range from $100 to $5,000.

Additional information, including a brochure and eligibility information, is available on ATC’s Grow Smart program website: http://www.atc-growsmart.com

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American Transmission Co. is a Wisconsin-based company that owns and operates the electric transmission system in portions of the Upper Midwest. Formed in 2001 as the nation’s first multi-state transmission-only utility, ATC has invested $3.2 billion to improve the adequacy and reliability of its infrastructure. ATC now is a $3.6 billion company with 9,480 miles of transmission lines and 529 substations. The company is a member of the MISO regional transmission organization, and provides nondiscriminatory service to all customers, supporting effective competition in energy markets without favoring any market participant. For more information, visit our website at www.atcllc.com.