Fight over who expands Wisconsin’s power grid heads to Washington
American Transmission Company (ATC) has requested federal intervention from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to challenge a decision by the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO). The dispute concerns a major transmission project awarded to a competitor, and it is directly linked to plans to connect a large data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, to the power grid.
Wisconsin’s largest transmission utility, American Transmission Company (ATC), has formally requested intervention from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) after the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO) awarded a significant transmission project to a rival startup. ATC, which manages transmission lines across eastern and central Wisconsin, is seeking to compel MISO to either restart the bidding process for the eastern Wisconsin project or award it entirely to ATC.
This action intensifies an ongoing debate over the profitability and cost-efficiency of new transmission investments, which are ultimately funded by electricity consumers. The escalating demand from energy-intensive data centers has heightened the stakes of this dispute. Crucially, ATC’s appeal is linked to efforts to establish grid connectivity for a substantial data center campus currently under development in Port Washington, with a target completion date by the end of next year. The broader MISO grid upgrades, initiated in 2022 and totaling an estimated $32 billion, aim to enhance reliability and integrate renewable energy sources across the Upper Midwest.