New transmission infrastructure will enhance reliability, expand transmission capacity and support growing energy needs
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Nov. 3, 2025) — Xcel Energy recently received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to move forward with the Western Wisconsin Transmission Connection (WWTC) project. The new 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line is a key step to delivering continued electric reliability and connecting Wisconsin’s electric grid to a growing network of low-cost renewable energy across the Upper Midwest.
“The WWTC project represents a critical investment in Wisconsin’s energy future,” said Karl Hoesly, president, Xcel Energy– Wisconsin and Michigan. “It reflects years of collaboration with communities and regulators to ensure a stronger, more resilient grid that can serve customers reliably for decades to come.”
Once complete, the WWTC project will enhance Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin transmission network and support ongoing grid improvements across the Upper Midwest, ensuring customers continue to receive reliable, low-cost power as demand grows. The roughly 80-mile transmission line will connect new and existing substations, beginning near Blair in Trempealeau County, connecting to a substation near Eau Claire and linking to an existing 345-kV line near Owen in Clark County.
Once complete, the WWTC will provide a strong connection to Wisconsin’s 345-kV transmission network, helping enhance the reliability, efficiency and delivery of energy to customers in the region.
WWTC also represents one segment of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) Tranche 1 portfolio — a series of transmission projects designed to expand access to renewable energy and improve reliability across the Midwest. WWTC will interconnect with new and existing transmission lines under development in southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and central Wisconsin, further strengthening the regional grid and advancing the transition to a cleaner energy future.
Comprehensive review process led to best route proposals
In 2023, Xcel Energy began working with landowners, local governments and state agencies to identify potential corridors for the new transmission project. After more than a year of public input, the company filed a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the PSCW in 2024.
Xcel Energy will now begin working on detailed design and engineering, as well as negotiations with landowners to purchase easements where the transmission line will be built. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, and the line is scheduled to be in service in 2029.
The WWTC project is expected to generate millions of dollars in economic benefits to Wisconsin communities through construction jobs, easement payments and local tax revenues that will help fund schools, roads and other infrastructure.
