By Brian E. Clark
WisBusiness.com
The American Transmission Co. on Wednesday will announce its top two choices for a 345-kilovolt power line that will run from west of Middleton to Rockdale, along Dane County’s eastern border.
The cost for the routes – which vary in length from 35 to 55 miles – ranges from $154 million to $187 million dollars.
One of the paths – the most controversial route -would run along the Beltline from Verona Road to near Middleton. ATC officials confirmed today that path will be recommended. The other two possibilities run to the south of Madison.
Critics of the Beltline route – including Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, UW-Madison Arboretum officials and the state Transportation Department, which doesn’t want 345,000 volts of electricity pulsing above or below the heavily-used freeway – asked ATC to put the line underground.
ATC studied that possibility earlier this year, but rejected it as not practical because of the high cost and, it said, the need to reroute the line under city streets and through neighborhoods.
According to the company, portions of the Beltline aren’t suitable for underground construction because access difficulties from private property, volume and speed of traffic and steep slope conditions.
ATC’s report said one section, from Verona Road east to South Towne Drive, would cost $20 million to construct overhead. Officials said the price to put it underground would be than six times as much, running as much as $128 million.
ATC owns and maintains transmission lines in parts of Wisconsin and three neighboring states. It is building upgrading its high-power network in the Badger State. This would be the biggest of several projects in Dane County.
Officials said this particular line is needed because of the county’s growth rate, which has been among the highest in the state. They said the existing transmission system here imports power and is operating at its limits and additional transmission lines are needed to keep pace with the growing demand.
Critics of the project, including the Sierra Club, have said they are not convinced the new line is needed.
Sarah Justus, a spokeswoman for ATC, said the final two choices for the Dane County line will be presented to the state Public Service Commission in October. Between now and then, the company will hold several open houses to discuss the project.
She said PSC will review ATC’s application to determine if it is complete and then make its decision, which she said the company anticipates will be made in early 2009.
She said ATC wants to have the line built by 2013.
