Landowners FAQ’s
“Good questions inform,
great questions transform.”
How are ATC’s power lines different from my local utility power lines?
ATC operates power lines between 69,000-volts and 345,000-volts; your local utility power lines carry lower voltages. ATC power lines move electricity from where it is generated to where it is needed. ATC’s power lines are 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 from the substations through lower-voltage distribution lines. ATC’s three power line conductors carry the electric power but may also have one or two smaller wires called shield wires at the top of the structure that protect the line from lightning strikes. ATC’s power lines are designed to operate at a specific design voltage. The higher the voltage, the more electric power a line can carry.
What can I do if I have a question or comment on a project?
Visit the contact section of this website and direct your questions or comments to any of the business departments listed. General phone numbers, emails, and a mailing address are provided. If you have a question or comment regarding a particular project, please provide that in the subject line.
Does the power line affect television or radio?
Power lines do not usually interfere with normal television or radio reception. In some cases, interference is possible at a location close to the utility corridor, 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.
What is the goal of ATC’s construction practices?
Our goal is to keep impacts to a minimum through avoidance and mitigation. We routinely incorporate protection measures in our construction work.
Who does ATC work with to keep your construction impacts to a minimum?
We collaborate internally to avoid impacts to environmental resources. If we cannot avoid impacts, we identify work practices that will minimize them. We also collaborate with regulators, contractors, landowners and other stakeholders to identify creative ways of minimizing impacts, to restore the areas we cannot avoid and to enhance the environment.
What does ATC’s construction plan typically include?
ATC’s construction plan outlines the roles and responsibilities of the entire project team, the project scope as well as anticipated environmental permits and regulatory requirements. It also includes an Environmental Monitoring Plan, which determines the appropriate monitoring and oversight based on environmental issues and regulatory requirements.
Learn more
Please see our Construction Practices fact sheet for more information.
Who benefits from power lines?
Power lines benefit everyone—from small business owners and consumers to large industrial users and the towns and communities that grow and thrive every day.
How do power lines benefit the local economy?
Power 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.
Will the presence of a power line affect my property value?
Many landowners ask whether the presence of a power line will impact the value of their property. Each property is unique. There are many factors that influence property values and the presence of a power line would be just one of them.
Can electric demand be met through alternative forms of energy production and conservation?
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.
If we generate more electricity, are power lines still needed?
Electric generation facilities cannot always be built where electricity is needed. Therefore, power 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.
If we conserve energy will we still need additional power lines?
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 and important role in our 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 efficient 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.
What about EMF?
Wherever you find electricity, you’ll also find electric and magnetic fields. You can’t see them, but EMF surrounds you in your home, school, 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 a current. As the electricity flows, it creates a magnetic field around the line—this line can be a power 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 power 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.
See our EMF fact sheet for more detailed information.
Will herbicides be used for weed and brush control around transmission line facilities?
We will use herbicides in areas where the easement agreements permits its use. In general, we attempt to notify landowners when the use of herbicides is planned.
Can landowners use the property once the utility builds the power line?
Yes, landowners can use the property for purposes that do not interfere with the operation, maintenance or construction of the power line. However, there are limitations on what can/cannot be done. These limitations are set by several sources including easement rights, National Electrical Code and Wisconsin State Electrical Code. Please contact ATC prior to making any changes to the topography/grade or constructing any improvements within a utility corridor.
What is stray voltage?
Stray voltage is the general term used to describe low-level voltages that may occur between surfaces that animals contact. On a farm, these surfaces may include stanchion pipes, water cups and feeders.
Stray voltage is a naturally occurring phenomenon associated with on-farm wiring and electrical connections to utility distribution systems. Both farm systems and utility distribution systems are grounded to the earth to ensure safety and electric reliability. Inevitably, some current flows through the earth at each grounding point and small voltage develops. This voltage is called neutral-to-earth voltage, or NEV. When NEV is found at animal contact points, it is called stray voltage.
The term stray voltage is often used incorrectly to refer to other electrical phenomena such as electric fields, magnetic fields and most recently electric current flowing in the earth. These phenomena are generally referred to as electric and magnetic fields. Although stray voltage can’t be totally eliminated, it can be minimized.
What are acceptable stray voltage levels?
Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and several universities have shown that individual cows react differently to various levels of stray voltage. At certain elevated levels, cows may experience stress and behavioral changes, which can lead to health problems and decreased milk production. This research supports prior findings that say that stray voltage of 2.0 volt AC or less should not cause health or production concerns for livestock.
See our Stray Voltage fact sheet for more information.
Why does ATC remove vegetation in the utility corridor?
Vegetation that grows too close to high-voltage power lines can cause a dangerous situation. Electricity can arc from the lines to a tree branch, igniting a fire or causing an outage. A tree does not need to make direct contact with a high-voltage power line to create a hazard. Incompatible vegetation in a utility corridor can threaten the reliability of the electric grid and lead to wide-spread power outages. Dense, incompatible vegetation in utility corridors hinders access for crews and equipment needed to inspect, maintain and make repairs to the poles and wires.
Learn more about living and working near powerlines.
What should I expect from ATC’s vegetation management?
ATC’s vegetation management program helps ensure that adequate clearances between high-voltage power lines, trees and other vegetation are maintained at all times. To achieve safe clearances in the utility corridor, incompatible vegetation is pruned or removed. In most situations, landowners should expect that all trees and dense, incompatible vegetation will be removed from the utility corridor during vegetation management work. Trees that are dead, dying, diseased, leaning toward the power lines, or are displaying some other defect to their structural integrity are considered hazard trees. Removing hazard trees, even when they are located outside the utility corridor, helps ATC avoid the danger of these trees causing an outage or damage to the lines, poles and wires.
ATC contracts with professional tree trimming and removal companies that have extensive experience in proper pruning and removal techniques. These crews participate in required training sessions on a variety of work-related topics and field issues. They carry identification showing their affiliation with ATC.
Will I be notified?
We know property owners near our facilities will have questions about vegetation management and it is our goal to provide opportunities to discuss our plans before our forestry contractors arrive for scheduled work. Typically, we notify landowners by mail in advance and provide a description of our plans, the reason for the work, time frame and contact information for a designated ATC professional forestry crew representative. We aim to provide ample time for the property owner to identify and make arrangements to relocate trees or bushes if they can be moved safely.
ATC contracts with professional tree trimming and removal companies that have extensive experience in proper pruning and removal techniques. These crews participate in required training sessions on a variety of work-related topics and field issues. They carry identification showing their affiliation with ATC.
ATC’s contracted professional forestry crews use manual, mechanical and herbicide control methods to achieve a clear and safe utility corridor. Beyond the edges of the corridor, large trees that are dead, dying, diseased or leaning that pose a threat to high-voltage power lines and structures are removed or pruned.
Who decides if a power line can be buried?
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin determines when it is appropriate to put power lines underground. In such a case, specific construction measures are necessary for safe and reliable operation of the line.
Why can’t ATC just bury the line?
Cost, repair time and environmental considerations are the primary reasons for why the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin rarely approves the installation of high-voltage underground power line cables.
An underground high-voltage power line can cost several times more than an overhead high-voltage power line. Overhead high-voltage power lines generally have a longer life expectancy than underground high-voltage power lines too.
It typically takes more time to locate and repair an issue with an underground line. Overhead high-voltage power lines can usually be repaired in hours or days, compared to days or weeks for underground lines.
Does ATC bury any power lines?
Less than 1% of ATC’s approximately 10,000 miles of high-voltage lines are buried underground and most are in urban areas where there are a lot of tall building or near airports to meet FAA regulations.