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City of Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, and the City of Racine, Villages of Mount Pleasant and Caledonia, Racine County, Wisconsin
Docket ID: 137-CE-215
Application of American Transmission Company LLC, as an Electric Public Utility, for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Construct and Operate the Elm Road-Racine Transmission Line Project, Consisting of a New 345 kV Transmission Line Located Primarily in the City of Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, the City of Racine, and the Villages of Mount Pleasant and Caledonia, Racine County, Wisconsin.
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Application Summary
Overview
American Transmission Company (ATC or applicant) is seeking approval to construct a second 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line between the existing Elm Road Substation in Milwaukee County and the existing Racine Substation in Racine County. The south portion of ATC’s existing 138 kV Oak Creek to Racine transmission line (Line 812) would be converted to 345 kV and re-terminated into the Racine Substation 345 kV bus. The remaining portion of the line would be retired. Approximately 3.7 miles of new 345 kV line would be built on new right-of-way (ROW) to connect the converted portion of Line 812 to the Elm Road Substation. The Proposed Route would be 2.2 miles in length including a total of 39.1 acres of ROW, of which 14.2 acres would be new ROW. The Alternate Route would be 2.4 miles in length including a total of 43.1 acres of ROW, of which 23.4 acres would be new ROW. The Common Route (not including Segment R) would be 2.4 miles in length including a total of 44.5 acres of ROW, of which 26.4 acres would be new ROW. Common Route Segment R is an existing corridor that is approximately 8.2 miles in length and no physical work would be performed; therefore, it would not involve acquiring any new ROW.
The project would include modifications to the Elm Road Substation and the Racine Substation, however neither would be expanded and all substation work would occur within the existing substation footprints. A new 345 kV breaker would be installed at the Elm Road Substation, and new 345 kV breakers and buses would be installed at the Racine Substation.
The proposed project would also acquire easements over the narrow strips of land between ATC’s existing 230 kV and 345 kV transmission corridors and the proposed transmission corridor for the project. The applicant states this is to ensure a safe topple distance between existing transmission structures and the new proposed structures, to improve construction and maintenance access, and to avoid the creation of uneconomic remnants for landowners. These easement acquisitions are Segment U (Proposed Route) containing approximately 4.5 acres, Segment V (Alternate Route) containing approximately 2.9 acres, and Segment T (Common Route) containing approximately 4.9 acres.
Applicant Stated Need
The project is needed for additional capacity in the Elm Road to Racine corridor to allow new loads and generators to reliably interconnect to the system. The project is also included in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc.’s (MISO) Long-Range Transmission Plan (LRTP) Tranche 2.1, a group of projects (Multi-Value Projects or MVPs) that are cost-shared across the MISO Midwest Subregion and represent the next step in MISO’s regional plan to improve the reliability, efficiency, and security of the transmission system.
Estimated Cost
The applicant stated that the estimated project cost would be approximately $56,852,000 if the Proposed Route is selected and approximately $63,659,000 if the Alternate Route is selected. The project cost would be shared across the MISO Midwest Subregion because it is a component of the MISO LRTP Tranche 2.1 portfolio, therefore it would have a net cost to Wisconsin transmission customers of negative (i.e. net benefit) $186,925.
Project Location
The project would be located in the City of Oak Creek in Milwaukee County, and the City of Racine and the Villages of Mount Pleasant and Caledonia in Racine County, Wisconsin.
Proposed Schedule
- The applicant submitted the application to the Commission in August 2025.
- If approved, the applicant anticipates construction for this project to begin in October 2026 with an estimated completion date of April 2028.
The proposed project is categorized as a
Type II action under
Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 4.10(2). The Commission will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project that will evaluate the location of the project and its potential environmental, community, and private property impacts. There will be a preliminary determination when the EA is complete that will determine whether the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is necessary.
Key Application Documents
Access Docket 137-CE-215 in the PSC Case Management System to view additional information.
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Access Docket 137-CE-215
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