Regulatory review process
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is the regulatory agency that approves major utility projects in Wisconsin. (Smaller projects usually require only local permits.)
Once we have gathered information from various stakeholders and identified power line route options (a process that can take a year or more), we prepare a CPCN application to be submitted to the PSC. A CPCN is a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which authorizes (in the form of a document called an Order) ATC to construct the project on the route that the PSC deems best. (A different type of authorization, called a Certificate of Authority (CA) is required for many smaller projects.)
Our application generally will include two or more route options along with all the documentation required for the PSC to review the project and render a decision (Order). The PSC will notify affected individuals when the review process has started, and will schedule public hearings so that the public may offer formal comments on the project. This review can take up to a year depending on the type of project.