North Central Wisconsin
Zone 1
Transmission system characteristics in Zone 1
ATC delivers power in Zone 1 with various transmission facilities including:
-
East-west 345-kV line from Arpin Substation through Stevens Point extending to the Appleton area,
-
345-kV line extending from Wausau to northeastern Minnesota,
-
345-kV line extending from Wausau to Stevens Point to eastern Outagamie County (Highway 22),
-
115-kV network in the northern portion of the zone, and
- 138-kV and 69-kV network in the southern portion of the zone.
Transmission system limitations in Zone 1
Key system performance issues from this Assessment in Zone 1 include low voltages and thermal overloads in the southern portion of the zone. These issues will necessitate a combination of reinforcements. In addition, for the northern portion of the zone, other studies occurring in parallel with this Assessment, including the Northern Area Reliability Assessment, have identified several voltage and thermal limitations. The most severe limitations occur during off-peak periods. See the Zone 2 section for a summary of a preliminary preferred alternative.
Electric system overview
Slight increases expected in population and employment – Population in Zone 1 is projected to grow at 0.7 percent annually between now and 2023. Employment is projected to grow at 1.0 percent annually between now and 2023. Marathon County is projected to realize the largest increase in population and employment, while Adams County is projected to have the highest growth rate in population and employment.
Electricity usage
Peak electric demand typically occurs during the summer months, with some winter peaks appearing in the northern portion of the zone. Primary electricity users in Zone 1 include a number of large paper mills and food processing plants. Electric load is forecasted to grow approximately 0.5 percent annually through 2024.
Transmission projects in Zone 1
The most notable planned, proposed and provisional network projects and asset renewal projects in Zone 1, along with their projected year of completion and the factors driving the need for the projects, are listed below.
Zone 1 includes the counties of:
- Adams , WI
- Fond du Lac (NW) , WI
- Forest (SW) , WI
- Green Lake , WI
- Juneau , WI
- Langlade , WI
- Lincoln , WI
- Marathon , WI
- Marquette , WI
- Monroe (E) , WI
- Oneida , WI
- Portage , WI
- Shawano (W) , WI
- Vernon (E) , WI
- Vilas (S) , WI
- Washara , WI
- Waupaca , WI
- Winnebago (W) , WI
- Wood , WI
Zone 1 Planned Projects
| Project Description | In-service year | Need driver |
|---|---|---|
| Monroe County-Council Creek 161u2011kV line | 2015 | Low voltages, economics, avoid reconfiguration during emergencies |
Zone 1 Proposed Projects
| Project Description | In-service year | Need driver |
|---|---|---|
| Fairwater u2013 Mackford Prairie 69-kV line construction | 2018 | Network service, condition, overloads and low voltage |
| M13 Reinforcement Bunker Hill-Blackbrook | 2019 | Overloads and condition |
Zone 1 Provisional Projects
| Project Description | In-service year | Need driver |
|---|---|---|
| None |
Zone 1 Asset Renewal Projects
| Project Description | In-service year | Need driver |
|---|---|---|
| Monetello-Wautoma 69-kV line rebuild | 2016 | Condition and performance |