Final route options for power line project to be presented at ATC public open house
Proposed project will be submitted in April to state regulators for review
PEWAUKEE, Wis. – American Transmission Co. is hosting a final public open house on Tuesday, Jan. 27 for the proposed Spring Valley-North Lake Geneva Electric Reliability Project. The open house gives area residents and other stakeholders the opportunity to review the proposed substation location and preferred and alternate routes for the 25-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line from southern Walworth County to western Kenosha County, Wis. ATC plans to submit its application to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in April 2015 for permission to build the line and substation. If approved, the PSC will select one route to be built.
The public is invited to attend the open house on Tuesday, Jan. 27, any time between 4 and 7:30 p.m. at the Wheatland Center Elementary School Cafeteria, located at6606 368th Ave. in Burlington.
“The two proposed routes represent the options the project team members believe best meet state routing and siting criteria based on impacts, costs, constructability, operation and maintenance,” said Mary Carpenter, senior local relations representative.
The electric transmission system in the area is vulnerable to low voltages and power outages and can no longer adequately support the lower-voltage distribution system. ATC studies indicate that the project would strengthen the electric transmission system to meet the growing use of electricity. This estimated $72 million to $92 million project would provide system redundancy and allow for maintenance outages when repairs are needed.
The Spring Valley-North Lake Geneva Electric Reliability Project was introduced to the public in early 2013. Since then, the ATC project team has been gathering field data and public input and evaluating community and environmental impacts to determine the most suitable route options for a proposed transmission line and substation. Preliminary transmission line corridors and routes were presented to the public during open houses in January 2013, and again in March 2014. If state regulators approve the project, construction would begin in 2017 to meet an in-service date of 2019.
Note to editors: A map showing the two proposed route options can be found here. Additional information about the project is available at www.atc-projects.com.