American Transmission Co. releases 10-year plan

American Transmission Co. has issued a 10-year plan that addresses the need for improvements to the electric grid, highlights sustainable energy projects, and outlines ongoing asset maintenance necessary to achieve the highest reliability, efficiency, and safety standards.

“Our long-term planning efforts require flexibility to support an evolving, sustainable energy future,” said Andy Dolan, vice president of system planning, said. “We have seen over 2,200 megawatts of fossil-fueled generation retire in our footprint since the beginning of 2018; meanwhile, we are studying proposals from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator to connect over 8,200 megawatts of solar generation and almost 1,500 megawatts of wind generation. To plan a robust transmission system, we’re analyzing the trends of this changing generation mix to best meet the needs of our owners and energy consumers.”

Specifically, the 10-year plan calls for a $1.8 billion investment in asset maintenance, $0.2 billion in regional Multi-Value Projects, $0.4 billion in network projects, and between $500 million and $1.1 billion in other capital expenditures.

“Our asset maintenance projects are driven by the need to address aging infrastructure initially installed decades ago,” Jim Vespalec, director of asset planning and engineering, said. “Overall, project expenditures in the 2020 plan reflect the measures necessary to maintain and reinforce the system and upgrade its resiliency.”

American Transmission is a Wisconsin-based company that owns and operates 9,921 miles of electric transmission lines and 577 substations in portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. The network enables the movement of electricity — produced from all forms of generation — to areas where it is needed.