American Transmission Co. projects

Project website for a Wisconsin-based company that owns and operates the high-voltage electric transmission system that powers communities in portions of the Upper Midwest.

Project overview

American Transmission Co. is proposing to reinforce the electrical transmission grid in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin to address generation changes, changes in demand, the evolution of a wholesale electricity market and emerging reliability concerns.

Although ATC has made reinforcements in the region in the past six years, the transmission upgrades have not kept pace with the changing needs.  Reduced output from generating units at power plants in the region also has placed increasing importance on transmission.

The Bay Lake project will address these concerns and includes the following components:

North Appleton-Morgan Wisconsin portion of the Bay Lake Project

Holmes-Old Mead Road Michigan portion of the Bay Lake Project

When the Bay Lake Project was originally proposed, it also included a 345-kV line from the Morgan Substation to an expanded National Substation near Ishpeming, Mich. Work on that portion of the project has been deferred while MISO, the regional transmission planning authority, conducts a Northern Area Study to address a number of transmission proposals and issues in Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The project will include substantial work at several existing substations and will require approval by Michigan and Wisconsin regulators along with various local and state permits.

ATC has a practice of engaging the public and other interested stakeholder in its proposed transmission line projects as a way to identify possible routes far in advance of filing a regulatory application. ATC began engaging the public through open houses in May 2012.

Learn more about ATC’s public involvement process.

Project at a Glance
Areas that benefit:Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin
Counties where facilities may be located:Delta and Menominee in Michigan; Brown, Oconto, Outagamie and Shawano in Wisconsin
Line length:345-kV – 45 miles
138-kV – 103 miles
Voltage:138-kV and 345-kV
Estimated project cost:$421 million
End points:North Appleton Substation to Morgan Substation (345- & 138-kV lines); Holmes Substation in Menominee County, Mich., to Old Mead Road Substation in Escanaba, Mich. (138-kV line)
Schedule*
Public information and involvement, including routing and siting:Spring 2012-ongoing
Environmental analysis:2012-2013
File regulatory applications in Michigan and Wisconsin:Late 2013 and early 2014
Regulatory review & public comment:2013-2014
Anticipated regulatory decisions:2014/2015
Start construction:2015 in Michigan; 2016 in Wisconsin
Target in-service date:Mid-2016 in Michigan; late 2018 in Wisconsin
*Dates are anticipated and subject to changes