Q. What is a transmission line?
A. A transmission line is a set of three wires, called
conductors, attached to structures that deliver electric power from
generating plants to substations. The power is then distributed
to consumers over distribution lines. The three transmission line
conductors carry the electric power. Transmission lines also generally
have one or two smaller wires called shield wires at the top of
the structure that protect the line from lightning. Transmission
lines are designed to operate at a specific design voltage. The
design voltages of transmission lines in Wisconsin typically range
from 46 kilovolts to 345 kilovolts. The higher the voltage, the
more electric power a transmission line can carry. The Arrowhead-Weston
transmission line will operate at 345-kilovolts.
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Q. What can I do
now if I have a question or a comment on the project?
A. Visit the contact
section of this Web site and direct your questions or comments to
any of the locations listed. Phone numbers, e-mail and mailing addresses
are provided for each contact group. Identify your question or comment
as being for the Arrowhead-Weston project.
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Q. Does the transmission
line affect television or radio?
A. Transmission lines do not usually interfere
with normal television or radio reception. In some cases, interference
is possible at a location close to the right-of-way, due to weak
broadcast signals or an abnormal condition on the line. With a line
operating at 345-kilovolts, the electrical influence is greater
so the possibility of interference is increased. This is one reason
345-kilovolt line routing studies try to achieve separations of
300 feet from residential dwellings.
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Q. How are easements
acquired?
A. Once the PSCW selects a route and the utility
has completed engineering, the negotiation process for purchasing
the necessary easements begins. The utility must follow the procedures
under section 32.06 Wisconsin Statutes, which is designed to protect
landowner rights during the easement acquisition process.
For this project a "Land Sales Study" will be performed
utilizing recent land sales in the project area to determine values
for the various types of property affected. The utility will base
its payment offers for easements on those values. If the landowner
desires, appraisals can also be performed using one appraiser hired
by the utility and one by the landowner to give written opinions
as to the value of the easement area on that individual's parcel.
The utility assumes the cost of both appraisals. If negotiations
between the two parties fail to result in an agreement, the issue
will be assigned to the local County Condemnation Commission for
a hearing. Testimony by both sides will be presented to the commission.
The commission will then determine what the compensation shall be.
Each side has the right to appeal the decision.
If you desire a copy of the pamphlet provided by the Wisconsin Department
of Commerce entitled The Rights of Landowners Under Wisconsin Eminent
Domain Law visit the Contact Information section of this web site.
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Q. Can landowners use the property
once the utility builds the line?
A. Land within the right-of-way may be used for
purposes that do not interfere with the operation, maintenance or
construction of the line. Some examples of appropriate land use
if wire to ground clearances remain acceptable include using the
land for cultivation or pasture in farming operations, or for streets,
curbs, gutters, underground utilities in areas of potential development.
The utility should be contacted before a change in use occurs to
assure compliance with safety codes. Some examples of inappropriate
land use include the construction of buildings intended for residential
occupancy or the planting of tall trees.
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Q. Do the proposed alternate
routes include existing corridors?
A. They do. As much as possible. Existing corridor
is used for more than 50 percent of the mileage of the alternate
routes that are part of the utility's project application which
was submitted to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
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Q. Was public
land considered for the proposed route?
A. Public land was considered for about 20 percent
of the mileage of the alternate routes. False claims about routing
may be a reaction to the decision not to propose a route through
the Chequamegon National Forest. The companies believe the proposed
routes have less environmental impact than crossing a national forest.
Concerned citizens have every right to disagree with that assessment.
However, it is wrong to falsely claim that private landowners were
deliberately targeted when the companies selected route options.
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Q. Who
benefits from transmission lines?
A. Transmission lines benefit everyone - from
the small business owner to the consumer to the large industrial
user to the towns and communities that grow and thrive every day.
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Q. Will transmission lines
impact the value of my property?
A. People on whose property transmission
lines are built are compensated fairly for the use of their land
based on the appraised value of the easement area. In addition,
ATC works with landowners to locate structures to ensure that the
existing terrain, land use and environmental concerns remain compatible
with providing the safe, reliable and economical transmission of
electricity.
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Q. How do transmission lines benefit
the local economy?
A. Transmission lines ensure that a dependable
supply of electricity remains available for all users. Residential
consumers have the affordable electricity they need. Local businesses
have the energy they need to expand and create new jobs to remain
competitive. And local public health and safety facilities have
the electricity they need to provide important services.
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Q. Will new transmission lines
in our state be used to deliver electricity to other states?
A. Wisconsin is a net importer of electricity.
The state does not generate enough electricity to serve its own
needs. If new generating plants and transmission lines are not put
in service in the next few years, Wisconsin could experience electricity
capacity shortages.
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Q. Can electric demand be met
through alternative forms of energy production and conservation?
A. Alternative forms of energy production and
conservation are important parts of the electricity equation. But
they cannot be relied on exclusively to meet the need for energy.
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Q. If we generated more electricity,
are transmission lines still needed?
A. Electric generation facilities cannot always
be built where electricity is needed. Therefore, transmission lines
will always be needed to deliver the electricity from where it's
produced to where it's needed, connecting generating units to distribution
lines.
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Q Who will benefit from this
project?
A. Every single consumer with an electric meter
in Wisconsin will benefit. Start anywhere in Wisconsin and follow
the local electric lines. In every case, you will eventually come
to a substation and a physical link to the regional network of high
voltage lines. If no power is flowing in the high voltage network,
then no power is flowing in the local distribution lines. It's that
simple.
If this line is built, some of the electricity used locally will
flow over the line and through the lower voltage paths from Duluth
or Wausau. The new line would also take some of the burden off the
only other existing major connection between Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For example, if some of the local power is coming from the direction
of Eau Claire, the new line will help avoid overloading that parallel
circuit.
Because all electric consumers will benefit, all Wisconsin utilities
were able to reach consensus and recommend this project. Supporters
include shareholder-owned utilities, the Wisconsin Federation of
Cooperatives and the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin.
This widespread support is based on a comprehensive study conducted
by engineering experts who were asked to analyze problems with the
reliability of the state's electric network and make a recommendation.
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Q.
If we conserve energy will we still need this line?
A. Building a new line provides certain, quantifiable relief
to solve Wisconsin's reliability problem. Energy conservation is
a worthwhile endeavor, but the net impact on energy consumption
is subject to a high degree of uncertainty.
Energy conservation will continue to play an important
role in Wisconsin's energy future. But, energy conservation cannot
reliably deliver the relief that is needed now to keep the lights
on. First, to get the same relief provided by the new line, energy
conservation would require millions of consumers to make the right
decisions about energy use and capital investments every day. Secondly,
energy conservation and efficiency improvements tend to have a bounce-back
effect. That is, when steps are taken to reduce energy consumption,
the economic savings are often used to expand businesses or homes
or to add additional electrical equipment. While this is good for
economic efficiency, it is very difficult to estimate the net impact
on electricity usage. It is not unusual for total consumption at
an industrial facility to increase over time because the energy
use associated with increased production exceeds the reductions
gained from energy
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Q. Will
herbicides be used for weed and brush control around transmission
line facilities?
A. No herbicides or other chemicals will be used
without the express written consent of the landowner.
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Q. Does the process of siting
and constructing transmission lines consider potential impacts on
the environment?
A. State and federal laws regulate all aspects
of siting and building transmission lines. When planning to build
a transmission line, state law requires the company constructing
the line to develop a plan that details information about environmentally
sensitive resources on the proposed route and steps to be taken
to avoid or minimize adverse impacts on those resources.
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Q. How is construction
handled in environmentally sensitive areas?
A. Every practical and reasonable step is taken
during the construction of transmission lines to avoid, protect
and preserve environmentally sensitive areas. When these can not
be achieved, appropriate mitigation practices are employed.
To help us identify, avoid and protect environmentally sensitive
areas along the line route, we’re developing a construction
and mitigation plan. The first part, Part A, presents the entire
route, construction requirements and generally identifies how we
will construct the line when we are working in environmentally sensitive
areas such as wetlands. Part B is being developed to address construction
practices for specific environmentally sensitive areas. Part B will
be developed for smaller segments of the line route. Together these
plans will help us avoid sensitive areas when practical, protect
areas that cannot be avoided and mitigate for impacts of construction.
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Q. What about
EMF?
A. Wherever you find electricity, you'll also find
Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF). You can't see them, but EMF
surrounds you in your home, school, and workplace, and on the streets
of your city or town. During your daily activities, you are continually
exposed to varying levels of EMF. These fields are so weak you can't
feel them. But during laboratory experiments, these currents appear
to cause a variety of small, short-term changes in cells by a yet
unknown mechanism. Concern focuses on whether these short-term changes
can have effects on human health. Most researchers believe that
if there is a risk of adverse health effects from EMF it is probably
low, but more research is needed, especially on the potential effects.
Electricity flows through a line to get from one place to another
– this is called current. As the electricity flows, it creates
a magnetic field around the line – this line can be a transmission
line, a line that brings power into your home or business, or a
line that allows electricity to travel in your home to power your
appliances. The magnetic field increases with the current, and is
called EMF. EMF is strongest near the electricity flow and reduces
as you move away from this current. So a transmission line with
a large flow or current produces large EMF right at the line. The
good news is that these transmission lines are on tall towers and
are constructed away from homes and schools – this helps to
reduce the EMF to levels similar to those measured next to some
home appliances.
The EMF issue is extremely complicated. There are a number of
places where more information can be obtained. These include your
local Public Service or Minnesota Power offices and the Internet.
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Q. Can EMFs from
transmission lines cause cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease and
suicide?
A. Much of the EMF research has focused on the
effects of EMF on childhood leukemia. The national Institute of
Environmental Health Science reported in June 1999 that "...the
evidence for a risk of cancer and other human disease from the electric
and magnetic fields (EMF) around power lines is 'weak'."
The California EMF study was a review of previously completed research.
The conclusions were that (1) they believe EMF may contribute to
a higher risk of diseases such as childhood leukemia, adult brain
cancer and Lou Gehrig’s disease, (2) that one can control
the risk by increasing one’s distance from an EMF source,
and (3) that the major sources come from home appliances, wiring
and occupational exposure.
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Q. Do EMFs come only
from transmission lines?
A. EMFs are found wherever there is electricity
and a current. Toasters, televisions and computers all produce EMFs.
Electric fields are found wherever there is electricity.
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Q. Isn't it true
that electric and magnetic fields are a proven health risk for people
and animals?
A. The latest and most comprehensive studies conclude
that there is no proven health risk to people or animals. Because
scientists cannot guarantee absolute safety, putting scientific
studies into perspective is difficult. People with health-related
concerns regarding power line fields are urged to check with competent,
unbiased sources of comprehensive information. Sources include:
the Medical College of Wisconsin, the National Academy of Science
and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Amid
all the misinformation, people may find it reassuring to review
the facts. People should also beware of out-of-date, incomplete
or discredited studies being characterized as proof that power line
fields harm humans or animals. After millions of dollars and years
of research, there is no such proof.
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