PSC grants CPCN to ATC for Dodge County interconnection project with routing, environmental conditions

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on Sept. 11 granted a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) to American Transmission Company (ATC) for the Dodge County Distribution Interconnection Project, approving the preferred route with conditions addressing environmental protections and agricultural impacts. The commission found the project is needed, in the public interest, and that no cost‑effective or technically feasible non‑transmission alternative would replace the proposal.

Commissioners said the project is intended to interconnect a large, continuously operating data‑center load and to resolve thermal and voltage limitations affecting the Beaver Dam area. The approved plan would expand the North Randolph substation in the town of Randolph, construct a new Manhattan substation in the town of Trenton, rebuild about 15 miles of existing 138 kV line (the X‑47 corridor), install a double‑circuit 138 kV line between the Randolph and Manhattan substations, and add two new 138 kV double‑circuit lines from Manhattan to the new large‑load customer substations. Construction was described in the record as expected to begin in early…