Bay Lake Project on schedule to present preliminary routes for three project study areas
Fourth area on hold while regional study underway
DE PERE, WIS. – American Transmission Co. announced today that it is on schedule to present preliminary routes for three of four Bay Lake Project study areas. The Bay Lake Project calls for new transmission lines and substations to be constructed in northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to ensure electric reliability and stability. Preliminary routes have been identified following a summer of collecting data and analyzing the potential corridors in northeastern Wisconsin and in Menominee and Delta counties in Michigan. The preliminary routes will be discussed with impacted property owners at public open houses in early October.
Plans for transmission line and substation work in a fourth project area in Dickinson and Marquette counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are temporarily on hold. MISO, the regional transmission planning authority, recently announced it would conduct a Northern Area Study to address a number of transmission proposals and issues in Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The Bay Lake Project components in this area are being included in the MISO study, and ATC is deferring additional work in this area pending study results. Consequently, no open house will be held for this project area in October; open houses will be scheduled when ATC resumes work in this project area.
In addition, several modifications have been made in the remaining study areas (please refer to the attached map).
Project Area 4 – Holmes to Escanaba
As originally proposed, the Bay Lake Project included two, 138-kV lines from the Holmes Substation in Menominee County and the Chandler and Old Mead Road substations in Escanaba.
Currently, ATC is proposing to build a single 138-kV line from Holmes to Old Mead Road, but will design the line to accommodate an additional circuit to Chandler in the future. No change has been made to the schedule; a regulatory application is expected to be filed with the Michigan Public Service Commission in late 2013 to meet an in-service date of late 2016.
Project Area 2 – Morgan to Quinnesec
ATC is continuing with routing and siting work for the new 345-kV line on the original schedule, and at this time, plans to include this component in a 2014 regulatory filing with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. However, this component also is being reviewed as part of the MISO Northern Area Study, and the in-service date is now expected to be 2017.
Project Area 1 – Green Bay to Morgan
This project area remains on the original schedule calling for a regulatory application in early 2014 and an in-service date of late 2016. This area includes a new Green Bay-area substation, a 345-kV line between the new substation and the Morgan Substation near Oconto Falls, Wis., and a new 138-kV line between the same two substations. Given these changes, a large voltage-control device also will be required. It is likely to be located on ATC property near its Amberg, Wis., substation.
Total preliminary cost for the revised project components are estimated to be between $286 million and $430 million for the 345-kV facilities and $149 million and $222 million for the 138-kV facilities.
Open houses will be held in early October to present the preliminary routes in the project areas that are still under active study. At the open houses, ATC staff will be on hand to discuss the preliminary routes with landowners. All landowners who received Bay Lake Project information in the recent past will be notified whether their property is affected or not.