Project overview

We Energies and American Transmission Co. are proposing an electric system reinforcement project that involves the construction of a new We Energies substation adjacent to the existing Milwaukee County Substation at 93rd Street and Watertown Plank Road, and construction of two separate 138,000-volt transmission lines to connect the substation to the transmission system that serves area. The project requires approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. The PSC is expected to complete its review in early 2013.

Need for the project

The Highway 45 corridor in western Milwaukee County is a growing metropolitan business hub. According to We Energies’ planning studies, electric demand in this region is projected to double as soon as 2016, beyond the capacity of the existing distribution substations and feeders that serve the area. Key drivers include commercial growth along Watertown Plank Road and increased electric usage by businesses and homes.

In addition, the critical nature of the two Level 1 trauma centers located within the Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex calls for a higher level of electric service reliability, one that includes a redundant source for electricity in the event that one of the two lines experiences an outage. Two separate and distinct lines are being proposed to serve the new We Energies substation.

The proposed project will:

• Relieve current and projected substation and source line overloads
• Provide needed service level of reliability to MRMC
• Enable planned growth in the area
• Ensure system reliability for homes and businesses

Routing and siting

The Wauwatosa area is a highly developed urban area with dense housing and commercial areas, which has added to the complexity of the routing and siting process. Additionally, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s planned Zoo Interchange impacts our project and schedule.

Best routes balance:

• Reliability, operation and maintenance
• Constructability
• Environmental impacts
• Social impacts
• Cost

Public Involvement

A series of public open house meetings during 2011 and periodic mailings provided the public with opportunities to comment on the project and participate in the process. Click here to learn more about ATC’s public involvement process. The PSC will hold public hearings in 2012 where the public can voice their opinions on the project and proposed routes.