North Madison-Huiskamp-Waunakee
The North Madison-Waunakee Transmission System Upgrade was approved by the Public Service Commission in July 2007, construction began in spring 2008, and the line was completed and placed in service in April 2009. This project is a critical reinforcement to the electric system, which includes construction of a new 138-kilovolt transmission line from the North Madison Substation, located in the Town of Vienna, to the Huiskamp Substation, located in the Town of Westport.
Project Need
Dane County in recent years has experienced some of the highest growth rates in the state, both in population and electricity usage.Portions of Middleton, Dane, Waunakee, Vienna, Westport and the northeast side of Madison are supported by a network of 69-kilovolt transmission lines that are used to near-maximum capacity during the peak summer season. The existing transmission line through Waunakee was built in 1919 and is operating at the limits of its capabilities. Without the addition of the new line, the existing lines were projected to be overloaded in summer 2009, resulting in increased vulnerability to outages for communities across northern Dane County. There also is only limited opportunity to take these lines out of service for maintenance, which further compromises reliability and increases operating costs. To maintain reliable electric service, new transmission facilities are needed.
Completed line along State Road 113
| Communities affected: | Vienna, Waunakee, Westport; project benefits Dane, Middleton, Wauankee, Westport and Madison's northeast side. |
| Line length: | Approximately 9 miles |
| Voltage: | 138,000 volts |
| End points: | North Madison Substation (town of Vienna) to Huiskamp Substation in the Town of Westport. |
| Project certified in MISO’s 2018 Transmission Expansion Plan: | Winter 2018 |
| Apply for permits from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Michigan's Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy: | Winter 2019-20 |
| Remove portions of submarine cables 5 & 6: | August - September 2020 |
| Anticipated approvals from ACOE/EGLE: | April 2021 |
| Remove existing submarine cables 1-6: | May - July 2021 |
| Install and energize first new submarine cable: | May - July 2021 |
| Install and energize second new submarine cable: | August - September 2021 |
| In service: | October 2021 |
| Project complete: | June 2022 |
| Mitigation complete: | Q3 2024 |