MADISON – The Public Service Commission (PSC) today approved American Transmission Company’s (ATC) application to construct approximately 100 miles of new transmission lines in Marathon, Shawano, Oconto, Waupaca and Outagamie counties and a new switching station in Shawano County.
“The record on the two transmission projects we considered today was extensive, with over a thousand pages of technical and public testimony and hundreds of maps” said PSC Chairperson Daniel Ebert. “The record is so specific, it even includes pole placement along the routes.”
Ebert said that many of the decision points regarding the project were not contested including the need for the new transmission lines.
“There is no dispute about the need for this transmission line which addresses the most constrained portion of ATC’s transmission system and will deliver the electricity from the new Weston 4 power plant more efficiently,” Ebert explained.
In a verbal decision today, the Commission approved ATC’s application to build two new 345-kilovolt transmission lines, one new 138-kilovolt transmission line and a switching station at a cost of about $260 million. The Commission determined the new lines and substation will meet additional transmission needs from Wisconsin Public Service Corporation’s new Weston 4 power plant near Wausau.
It will also help alleviate a constrained transmission system and improve electric reliability in northeastern Wisconsin.
“Unlike other transmission line projects, there was no disagreement about the need for this line. Without it the new Weston 4 power plant could not operate at full output and the 3000 megawatt import delivery requirement of the Arrowhead Weston line would not be ensured,” Commissioner Mark Meyer said.
