ATC changes proposed power line project

DE PERE - American Transmission Co. has announced changes to its Bay Lake Project - a proposed collection of power lines and substations in northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.

The project has put a temporary hold on the proposed 345-KV power line between the Morgan substation in Oconto County, Wis., and the Plains Substation near Quinnesec, Mich.

The project is on hold while MISO, the regional transmission planning authority, conducts a Northern Area Study to address a number of power line proposals and issues in several states, including Wisconsin and Michigan.

However, no changes have been made to the proposed line between the Green Bay area and the Morgan Substation.

"As we noted when announcing the project in spring 2012, there's a delicate balance among transmission, generation and electric load in the region. Now, a year later, that balance continues to shift," David Hovde, ATC's local relations representative for the project, said in a news release.

"The industry also is transitioning to more region-wide transmission planning, with the regional operator, MISO, playing a larger role. These issues have required further study; consequently, we are deferring some work in northern Wisconsin and making revisions to the project in Michigan."

ATC has also announced a scaling back of the project's plans in Michigan.

The company has decided a single-circuit 138-KV line between the Holmes Substation in Menominee County, Mich., and the Escanaba area will be adequate for the foreseeable future.

That line will require substantial review of the routing and siting work done last year to identify opportunities to co-locate the new circuit with existing facilities. An open house to present two routes for the new line will be held in that area in June 2013.

Open houses will be conducted in May 2013 to present the location of a new Green Bay-area substation and two routes for a 345-kV line and a 138-kV line.