American Transmission Co. is Planning a $60 Million Upgrade to Transmission Lines

American Transmission Co. is planning a $60 million upgrade to transmission lines serving four counties in southeastern Wisconsin.

The Pewaukee-based utility said it's planning to rebuild 58 miles of 138,000-volt transmission lines in Waukesha, Washington, Jefferson and Dodge counties.

The project is needed to replace aging equipment that is approaching the end of its lifespan, according to ATC.

"The majority of the structures were originally built in the 1940s," said ATC spokeswoman Alissa Braatz. "In order to improve electric reliability in the region, the structures and conductors need to be replaced."

Power line projects can be controversial when they involve the utility acquiring new land for right-of-way, but that isn't needed in this case.

Between Waukesha and Watertown, the utility plans to replace most of the existing transmission towers and install more than 35 miles of new conductor and add fiber optic wires.

On a roughly 22-mile stretch between Watertown and Hartford, ATC said it plans to replace most of the towers and then continue using the existing conductors.

The state Public Service Commission and the state Department of Natural Resources must approve the plan.

In its 10-year planning document, released last year, ATC discussed increased electricity use in Waukesha and Washington counties as a factor "signaling the need for future transmission system reinforcements."

ATC says it expects to receive project approval this spring, with construction scheduled to start in the fall of 2013. The project would be completed by early 2017.

American Transmission owns and operates the high-voltage power lines that serve eastern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Its owners are the eastern Wisconsin electric utilities, including We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service Corp., Wisconsin Power & Light Co. and Madison Gas & Electric Co.