ATC: New substation boosts power to Fitchburg

From: Luella Dooley

ldooley@atcllc.com

262.506.6932

MADISON, Wis. — The new Oak Ridge Substation in Fitchburg was energized and began serving local customers ahead of schedule last month. The substation is part of a larger project in progress by American Transmission Co. and Madison Gas and Electric to strengthen electric system reliability in the area.

“Placing this new substation in service is a culmination of the efforts of ATC and MGE during the last five years,” says Craig Fenrick, assistant vice president, Electric Transmission and Distribution for MGE. “This new substation will help ensure that peak summer demand for power can be met.”

The substation was energized two weeks ahead of schedule and marks the halfway point of a larger, $22.6 million project under way to strengthen and maintain the reliability of the electric system serving southern Dane and northern Green counties.

During the next phase of the project, ATC will construct a 6-mile, 138,000-volt transmission line to connect the new substation to an existing substation in Verona located near the intersection of Highways M and PB. Construction is scheduled to begin in early August, and the entire project is projected to be in service in the first quarter of 2010.

“With the addition of this new substation, customers in Fitchburg and the surrounding area have already begun to benefit from this project,” says Charlie Gonzales, ATC local relations representative. “And when the entire project is complete the region will continue to benefit from a strengthened electric transmission system for years to come.”

Note to editor: A project area map and additional information about this and other ATC projects is available at atc-projects.com .

ATC owns, operates, builds and maintains the high-voltage electric transmission system serving portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Formed in 2001 as the nation’s first multi-state transmission-only utility, ATC has invested $2 billion to improve the adequacy and reliability of its infrastructure. ATC now is a $2.5 billion company with 9,350 miles of transmission lines and 510 substations. The company is a member of the Midwest ISO 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 Web site at http://www.atcllc.com.