Project overview

Construction is ongoing for a new 138-kilovolt, 16-mile line between Eagle River and Conover. This line is scheduled to be energized in June 2008.  Construction will then continue on a related project between the Conover Substation and the Plains Substation in Norway, Mich.

The electric transmission infrastructure serving northern Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan is in need of reinforcement. Significant growth has occurred in the Rhinelander/Eagle River area, resulting in an overloaded system that is vulnerable to interruptions and even blackouts under severe conditions. The lines to the east that connect northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula are the most severely constrained in the ATC system. The constraints limit ATC's ability to move power in and out of the Upper Peninsula, requiring higher-cost generators on the system to run more often, costing ATC customers million of dollars a year. In addition, there is limited ability to schedule maintenance on these lines, resulting in reduced reliability and increased operating costs.

At a glance
Communities affected: Eagle River, Conover and Florence, Wis.; improved reliability will benefit northern Wisconsin and the western areas of the Upper Peninsula
Length of line: 16 miles
End points: Cranberry Substation in Eagle River to Conover Substation in Conover

Voltage: 138 kilovolts
Status of project: In construction; expected completion June 2008.

Schedule
File construction application to PSC: November 2005
Regulatory review and public comment: Late 2005
Project approval from PSC: November 2006
Start of construction: August 2007 (Cranberry-Conover)

Anticipated completion: June 2008 (Cranberry-Conover)

For more information or to comment, e-mail Lee Meyerhofer or call 1-866-899-3204, ext. 6572.