Electric and Natural Gas Filing Requirements and Related Environmental Topics

Questions about Construction Filing Requirements?

Initial questions about the CPCN and CA processes can be referred to the following Commission staff:

Additional state and federal permits may be required, prior to the start of construction. The "Construction and Environmental Related Resources" link on the left side bar contains links to some of these state and federal agencies.

Transmission Construction Projects

The transmission line Application Filing Requirement (AFR) provided below applies to all electric transmission projects that require either a Certificate of Authority (CA) under Wis. Stat. § 196.49 or a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) under Wis. Stat. § 196.491 from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). This document also addresses information requirements for permits from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under Wis. Stat. § 30.025.

Transmission Application Filing Requirement (AFR) document (.pdf) and associated MS Excel tables (.zip):

Electric Power Plant Construction Projects

A power plant with a rated capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) or more must have a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Commission before plant-related construction may begin. Power plant projects rated less than 100MW may require a Certificate of Authority (CA) from the Commission prior to construction. Follow the link below to obtain a copy of the most recent version of the Power Plant Application Filing Requirements. Power plant projects will also require a study of the potential noise impact from the project. A link to the Commission’s Noise Measurement Protocol may also be found below. Applications for electric generation construction projects may require the completion of two DNR tables. These can be found below as well.

Electric transmission lines, substations, and natural gas or water pipelines may also be needed for new power plants. Follow the links below to additional PSC Application Filing Requirements.

Power Plant Application Filing Requirement (AFR) document (.pdf) and associated MS Excel tables (.zip):

Fossil Fuel or Biomass Plants

Wind Powered Electric Generation

Municipal Construction Projects

Municipal electric utilities must file for construction authority if construction projects exceed a certain cost threshold. These filing requirements cover the generally small construction projects normally proposed by municipal electric utilities. These projects are most always classified as Type III (or less commonly as Type II) projects under Wis. Admin. Code ch. PSC 4. Projects can include new or expanded buildings, new or expanded substations, certain transmission and/or distribution construction or upgrade projects, and small generation projects. In order to obtain construction authority, an application must be filed with the Commission by following the filing requirements set out in the link below. Click here for information related to municipal water utility construction.

Natural Gas Pipeline Construction Projects

Any utility proposing to construct a natural gas pipeline requiring a Certificate of Authority (CA) under Wis. Stat. §196.49 must prepare an application for Commission review.  Wis. Adm. Code PSC §133.04, lists the information needed for all CA applications. More extensive construction projects may require additional information contained in the application filing requirements (AFR) for pipeline projects.  The AFR also includes information requirements for obtaining wetland or waterway crossing permits from the Department of Natural Resources when coordinated reviews are required under Wis. Stat. §30.025.

Natural Gas Pipeline Application Filing Requirement (AFR) document (.pdf) and associated MS Excel tables (.zip):

Substation Construction Projects

The substation Application Filing Requirement (AFR) provided below applies to all electric substation projects that require Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approval. This document also addresses information requirements for permits from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under Wis. Stat. § 30.025.

Substation Application Filing Requirement (AFR) document (.pdf):