Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin
Zone 2
Greenwood STATCOM (Marquette County Reactive Power Project)
Transmission system limitations in Zone 2
There are several potential transmission system performance issues in Zone 2, including limited ability to import or export power, potential generator instability, and low and high system voltages. Potential overloads that are a result of multiple contingency planning events will continue to be monitored. The most severe limitations are expected to occur during both peak and off‑peak periods.
Electricity usage
Zone 2 typically experiences peak electric demand during both the summer and winter months. Ore mining and paper mills are the largest electricity users in the zone.
Electrical load forecast in the Upper Peninsula has historically been less than 1% per year. Also, locally generated electricity has declined in recent years. This includes generation owned by industry, municipalities and utilities.
Transmission projects in Zone 2
The most notable planned, proposed, and provisional network / asset-renewal projects in Zone 2 are listed below – along with their projected year of completion and the factors driving the need for the projects.
One of the most notable recently completed projects includes the Marquette County Reactive Power Project, which provides reactive power support to the Marquette area and is the first STATCOM to enter into service on ATC’s footprint. Multiple future projects are being developed to address reliability issues and support load additions in both the far western and eastern UP. These projects will further improve the reliability in the Upper Peninsula following the changes to the area’s generation profile in the past 5 years.
Zone 2 includes the counties of:
- Alger , Mich.
- Baraga , Mich.
- Chippewa , Mich.
- Delta , Mich.
- Dickinson , Mich.
- Florence , Wis.
- Forest (N) , Wis.
- Gogebic (E) , Mich.
- Houghton , Mich.
- Iron , Mich.
- Keweenaw , Mich.
- Luce , Mich.
- Mackinac , Mich.
- Marinette (N) , Wis.
- Marquette , Mich.
- Menonminee (N) , Mich.
- Ontonagon (E) , Mich.
- Schoolcraft , Mich.
- Vilas (N) , Wis.
Zone 2 Planned Projects
| Project Description | Project # | In-service year | Need driver | Regulatory Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler – Delta 69 kV (Delta1), Rebuild and OPGW | 1 | 2026 | Condition and Performance | N/A |
| Munising Area Reactive Power Project | 2 | 2027 | Reliability | N/A |
| Cornell Tap – Watson Tap 69kV (Chandler), Partial Rebuild | 4 | 2028 | Condition and Performance | N/A |
| Pine River – Mich Limestone Loading Dock 69 kV (ESE_6906), Rebuild | 5 | 2028 | Condition and Performance | N/A |
Zone 2 Proposed Projects
| Project Description | Project # | In-service year | Need driver | Regulatory Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Mine – Huron 138 kV (X-119), OPGW Addition | 3 | 2027 | Communication | N/A |
| J1750 Grace Lake SS Network Upgrades and Interconnection Facilities | 7 | 2028 | G-T Interconnection | N/A |
Zone 2 Provisional Projects
| Project Description | Project # | In-service year | Need driver | Regulatory Update |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Mile SW STA - Pine River 69 kV (6921/23), Rebuild | 6 | 2028 | Condition and Performance | N/A |
| 3 Mile - 9 Mile 69 kV (ESE_6903/ESE_6902/6901), Rebuild and Reconfigure | 8 | 2029 | Condition and Performance | N/A |
| Magazine - Portage St., New 69 kV Line | 9 | 2029 | Reliability | N/A |
| Hiawatha SS Control Building , Relays and Breaker Asset Renewal | 10 | 2029 | Condition and Performance | N/A |
| Western UP Reliabilty Project | 11 | 2030 | Reliability, Condition and Performance | Filing Requirement TBD |
| Silver River – North Lake 138 kV (NLKG31), Rebuild | 12 | 2032 | Condition and Performance | N/A |