Madison, Wis., Utility Seeks $21 Million Power Boost for Transmission Loop
The Wisconsin State Journal - April 13, 2003
What goes around, comes around and electricity is no exception.
The four-mile stretch from a substation near Sprecher and Cottage Grove roads
to another substation near Femrite Drive and Hwy. 12 would fill in a missing
link on a transmission ring that circles Madison, said ATC spokeswoman Annemarie
Newman.
"This would complete a path around the city so that if we were to lose
some of these key pieces of the network, we would be able to maintain electric
flow from another direction," Newman said.
The 138-kilovolt line is considered medium capacity. It carries more
electricity than the lines that bring power to homes and businesses but it's
considerably smaller than the 345-kilovolt high-voltage line proposed for
northern Wisconsin that's drawn big protests from residents of that area.
"We are running out of breathing room on the network in Dane
County," said American Transmission vice president Mark Williamson, in a
written statement. "This project is needed to meet rising demand, to back
up critical facilities, and to carry power into Dane County from new sources of
generation that are coming on line."
American Transmission Co., which operates and builds transmission lines in
parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois, will hold meetings today and Thursday
to provide details about the project and to hear public comments.
No specific route has been chosen; instead, American Transmission has
identified a number of possible segments and will eventually narrow them down to
two potential routes. "We want to route this in a way that it would have as
little impact as possible," Newman said.
So far, residents haven't received a lot of information, said outgoing Dane
County Sup. Carole McGuire, 16th District. "Just like farmers, people don't
like more electricity around them," she said. "Businesses may need it;
whether residents want it, that's where my concerns are."
McGuire said she's heard that the lines won't be any more obtrusive than
existing power lines. "If that's true, then I think (residents) will be
relieved."
MGE spokesman Steve Kraus said not just Madison, but also outlying
communities such as Waunakee and Sun Prairie need more power. "Our economy
has done well here and that area has shown tremendous growth," he said.
Charlie Higley, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, said it
sounds as though the line is needed. But he will suggest that American
Transmission consider building it underground. "It's better from an
aesthetic and perhaps, from a safety point of view," Higley said.
Newman said, though, at this point, the company plans to build overhead
lines. "Generally speaking, underground lines are environmentally far more
damaging because of the trench that needs to be dug up." They're also more
expensive and repairs can take "weeks or months to locate and fix,"
she said.
Of American Transmission's 8,900 miles of lines, fewer than 1 percent are
underground. One stretch is a six-mile, 69-kilovolt line built on the Southwest
Side earlier this year from the West Towne area to McKee Road.
Meetings will be held today from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. and on
Thursday, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Capital City Harley-Davidson, 6200 Millpond Rd.
If a route is chosen by fall 2005 and government regulators approve, American
Transmission wants to have the line in service by spring 2007.
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