ATC to discuss preliminary route corridors for proposed power line to serve western Milwaukee County
Open house will be Oct. 21, 4-7 p.m. at the Wauwatosa Civic Center
PEWAUKEE, Wis. – An informational open house on Thursday, Oct. 21 at the Wauwatosa Civic Center will provide area landowners and members of the public an
opportunity to comment on American Transmission Co.’s proposal for a new 138,000-volt transmission line to be located primarily in Wauwatosa.
“An approximately 2-mile transmission line is needed to connect to a new substation proposed by We Energies,” explains Mary Carpenter, local relations representative for ATC. “We Energies’ planning forecasts indicate that additional power is needed in the area to serve their local customers.”
According to We Energies’ planning studies, electric demand in the U.S Highway 45 corridor in western Milwaukee County is projected to double as soon as 2016-2018. “Studies also indicate that existing distribution substations and feeders that serve the area will not be adequate to meet anticipated future electric demand,” says Andrew Gumm, We Energies manager of project siting. “To respond to the area’s growing electric needs, we plan to build a new distribution substation adjacent to the existing Milwaukee County Substation and Milwaukee County Power Plant at 93rd Street and Watertown Plank Road.”
American Transmission Co. staff, along with representatives from We Energies, will be on hand at the Wauwatosa Civic Center between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, to discuss with stakeholders the plans, including preliminary corridors being considered for the power line.
“We look to the public, particularly people who may be impacted, to participate in the process by providing comments and input,” says Carpenter. “This first of three informal open houses is the best venue for people to learn about the project and to have a voice in shaping decisions about where the line will be located.”
ATC mailed open house invitations to potentially affected landowners and businesses. During the next year, ATC will narrow the potential routes before filing an application to build the line with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in early 2012. If approved by the PSCW, construction of the new line would begin in 2014 to meet an in-service date of 2015.