The last portion of a project that substantially improves the reliability of the high-voltage electric system in central and northeast Wisconsin was placed into service recently.

“Energizing the final leg of the Morgan-Werner West 345-kilovolt line completes a five-year effort to expand capacity and improve reliability in the area,” said Stan Tessmer, project manager for ATC. “We began talking with the public about the need for these two, 50+-mile lines in early 2004, received regulatory authorization in 2006 and started construction in fall of that year.”

The project included a line from the Gardner Park Substation near Wausau to a new substation along Highway 22 north of Clintonville, and a line from the Morgan Substation in Oconto County to a new substation (Werner West) near New London. About 75 miles of the project (from New London to Clintonville to Wausau) was placed in service ahead of schedule in June.

“During the summer, the new facilities increased the transmission capability of our network across central Wisconsin, and allowed us to perform maintenance and upgrade work on other lines in the area in a timely and efficient manner,” explained Francis Esselman, manager of regional reliability for ATC. “We saw additional improvements on the system when the last portion of the project was energized last week. Energizing the last segment reduced overall electrical losses by about 14 megawatts – the equivalent of eight large wind turbines.”