American Transmission Co. and We Energies on Wednesday activated two electricity transmission lines to improve system reliability in western Milwaukee County.
The project involved construction of two transmission lines and a new We Energies substation near Watertown Plank Road and 93rd Street, adjacent to the existing We Energies Milwaukee County power plant and substation.
Approximately 90 percent of the transmission lines were constructed on municipal or public property, and a portion of the line is underground.
The new substation and transmission lines provide for the area’s growing electric needs and the critical nature of the Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma centers located within the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center complex. The Medical Center calls for a higher level of electric service reliability, one that includes a backup source for electricity in the event one of the two lines experiences an outage.
“Restoration activities will continue for the coming months, including seeding along the bike path and near the railroad tracks along Underwood Creek Parkway.” said William Aeschbacher, ATC project manager. “We also are working with a local group on prairie restoration in a four-acre area along the Milwaukee County Oak Leaf Trail, including removing the invasive teasel plant, which has been thriving there for many years, and restoring the area with native prairie species.”
Pewaukee-based ATC filed an application to construct the project with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in February 2012, received approval in March 2013 and began construction later that year. The project is projected to come within the PSC-approved budget of approximately $23 million.
