Projects and Initiatives

Since acquiring the transmission system, ITC Midwest has been following through on its commitment to improve electric transmission reliability in Iowa by upgrading the 34.5 kV system to 69 kV. Much of the existing system being rebuilt was constructed more than 60 years ago and has reached the end of its useful life.

METC upgraded it to improve reliability and meet current design and construction standards.

As part of ITC Michigan’s efforts to modernize aging electric transmission infrastructure and improve service reliability, we replaced 76 wood transmission poles with modern steel monopoles along the Apache – Seneca 120,000 volt (120 kV) transmission line. The 4.5-mile project began in September 2016 and was completed in 2018.

To support electric reliability and increase capacity in the Ann Arbor area, ITC Michigan, through its ITCTransmission subsidiary, constructed approximately three miles of underground transmission line to connect a new DTE Energy substation named Apex, located near the intersection of Huron Parkway and Hubbard Road, to an existing substation named Phoenix, located just north of Dhu Varren Road.

ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC) subsidiary, is upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure in Gladwin and Midland Counties. METC will rebuild approximately 20 miles of its Bard Road – Warren 138,000 volt (138 kV) transmission line, replacing the existing structures with new, double-circuit monopoles designed for higher-rated conductor (wire). 

ITC Holdings Corp., through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC) subsidiary, is upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure in Michigan. METC will rebuild approximately 23 miles of its Barnum Creek – Batavia 138 kV transmission line, replacing the existing structures with new monopoles designed for higher-rated conductor (wire). Construction will begin in Q4 2020 and be completed in Q4 2021.

The Battle Creek-Island Road line spans Calhoun and Eaton Counties. ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, will rebuild 23 miles of this line with new single-circuit structures and conductor (wires), providing greater reliability in this area of the state.

ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, has rebuilt approximately 22 miles of its Beecher - Samaria 138,000 volt (138kV) transmission line. This project improves the reliability of high-voltage electrical service in the area by replacing the current wood H-frame and steel lattice structures with double-circuit steel monopoles. Construction was conducted in two phases: Morocco – Samaria and Morocco – Beecher, both completed in 2019.

ITC Midwest (ITC) has built a new 345 kV (345,000 volt) electricity transmission line from the Beverly Substation along 26th Street in southwest Cedar Rapids, west and south to the new Morgan Valley substation near Walford. This transmission line is approximately seven miles in length.

ITC Holdings Corp., through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC) subsidiary, is upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure in west Michigan. METC has retired its aging Blendon Substation and worked with Wolverine Power Cooperative to acquire its nearby 69,000 volt (69 kV) ring bus station. 

ITC Michigan, through its ITCTransmission subsidiary, upgraded its approximately 4 mile, 120,000 volt (120 kV) Bloomfield-Hamlin transmission line that serves the Auburn Hills, Pontiac and Rochester Hills, Mich., communities.

In Southeast Michigan, ITC will construct two new 345kV substations, rebuild four miles of an existing 120kV line and replace a number of structures on lines connecting to the new stations. Together, these infrastructure improvements represent a forward-looking, cost-effective approach that will improve the reliability of electric service to residents and businesses, facilitate new generation sources, and support current and future electricity demand throughout the region. 

To support economic growth in south central Michigan, ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, is constructing a new substation, called Brooks Industrial, and 3.5 miles of new transmission lines in the City of Marshall, and in Marshall and Fredonia Townships.

In west Michigan, METC will build approximately 4 miles of new 345,000 volt (345 kV) transmission line in an existing utility corridor. Additionally, new equipment will be installed in the Campbell and Tyler substations to facilitate the connection of the new line. 

On May 27, 2020, ITC Midwest and Dairyland Power Cooperative received approval for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek Transmission Line Project from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). In a written decision, the three IUB members unanimously approved the franchise for the 14-mile Iowa transmission line segment, which will be constructed from the Hickory Creek substation near New Vienna in Dubuque County northward to Clayton County, and then cross the Mississippi River near Cassville, Wisconsin.

In September 2019, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and selected the route for the Wisconsin portion of the project. Additional regulatory approvals have been obtained from federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for permission for the line to cross the Mississippi River. Final permitting from these federal agencies has been received or is in process.

The entire project is approximately 100-miles of 345-kilovolt transmission line designed to electrically connect the Dubuque County, Iowa, region to the Dane County, Wisconsin, region. In Wisconsin, ITC Midwest will be responsible for the segment of line from the Mississippi River to a new substation near Montfort, Wisconsin, to be built by American Transmission Co. (ATC), the third utility involved in the project. ATC will also be responsible for the remainder of the line to Dane County. Construction is expected to begin in 2021 to meet an in-service date of 2023.

As a portion of one of 17 Multi-Value Projects approved by the region’s Midcontinent Independent System Operator in 2011, the cost and benefits of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project are distributed throughout the multi-state northern MISO region.

To support economic growth in southern Michigan, ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, is constructing new substations and transmission lines in the City of Coldwater, and in Coldwater, Girard and Union Townships. The project is being constructed in two phases:

 

 

In the City of Detroit, we are partnering with our customer, DTE Energy, to construct the new 120,000 volt (120 kV) Corktown Substation and a half mile of underground transmission line that will increase electricity capacity in this growing area of the city. Construction is expected to begin in Q2 2021 and be completed in Q4 2021.

METC recently upgraded the Cottage Grove-East Tawas section of the Iosco-Karn 138,000 volt (138 kV) line in northeastern Michigan, bringing the line there up to design and construction codes.

ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, has upgraded the southern segment of the Croton-Mecosta 138,000 volt (138 kV) line with new steel monopole structures and aluminum conductors to increase its capacity and reliability and also allow for future expansion.

Portions of the electric transmission grid in Michigan, including many structures along the Delhi – Canal Jct.138,000 volt (138kV) transmission line, were built more than 50 years ago and have experienced minimal investment since that time. As a result, this line had become increasingly unreliable and costly to maintain as growing demand for electricity and outdated infrastructure technology taxed its service capabilities, creating the potential for it to become overloaded.

ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, is improving the reliability of high-voltage electrical service in the area south of Lansing by replacing wood poles with more durable steel monopole structures. This project was completed in 2015.

ITC Holdings Corp., through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC) subsidiary, is upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure in Michigan. METC rebuilt 9.5 miles of its Garfield Avenue – Hemphill 138 kV transmission line, replacing the existing structures with new monopoles designed for higherrated conductor (wire) and optical ground wire (OPGW). Construction was completed in Q3 2020.

ITC Midwest rebuilt an existing 161 kV transmission line in southwest Minnesota between its Heron Lake and Lakefield substations.

To improve reliability and meet the region’s growing energy demands, ITC Midwest built a new electric transmission line and substation in northern Linn County, Iowa. The Hiawatha-Coffey line connects ITC Midwest’s existing Hiawatha electric substation (located in the south part of Robins) to a new substation, called Coffey substation, located one-half mile west of Highway 13. The new line connects the two substations, which are approximately 10 miles apart, and carry electricity at 161 kV. Construction was completed in December 2016.

ITC Midwest and Xcel Energy are proposing to build a 40-50 mile 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line that would connect ITC Midwest's Huntley Substation, south of Winnebago, and Xcel Energy's Wilmarth Substation, north of Mankato.

The Elm Creek to Summit 345,000-volt (345kV) transmission line is improving the reliability of the grid in central Kansas, allowing the grid to continue to meet required standards of reliability. 

The V-Plan is a high-voltage transmission line connect eastern and western Kansas to improve electric reliability and enable energy developers to tap into the transmission grid, further establishing a competitive energy market in the state and region. This project also contributes to a stronger transmission grid, ultimately benefitting the entire region.

The lines and structures on the Keystone-Hodenpyl 138,000 volt (138 kV) line reached their design capacity limits and became difficult to maintain. METC  upgraded this 26-mile line in order to improve reliability and to meet current safety, design and construction standards.

ITC Michigan is working with Ontario-based Hydro One to upgrade the communication path that connects St. Clair to Lambton.

METC will build a new 138,000 volt (138 kV) substation called Long Rapids, and relocate its transmission infrastructure from the nearby Alpena substation to the new substation, including the Alpena – Airport, Alpena – Iosco and Alpena – Rockport 138 kV lines. Additionally, METC will rebuild approximately 6.3 miles of the Airport – Alpena (Long Rapids) line, replacing the existing single-circuit structures with new double-circuit structures and installing optical ground wire (OPGW). It also will construct 2.4 miles of new line on the Mio-Airport 138 kV single-circuit line. Construction will begin in Q2 2022 and is expected to be completed in Q1 2023.

ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, will rebuild the line with new steel monopole structures and a higher capacity conductor (wires) to provide greater reliability in the southern region of the state.

To improve reliability and meet the region’s growing energy demands, ITC Michigan, through its ITC Transmission subsidiary, is constructing a new substation and transmission line in the City of Dearborn.

As Michigan continues to transition to a cleaner portfolio of power generation resources, additional transmission capacity will be needed to promote the continued reliability of the bulk power system and support the interconnection of new generation resources.

ITC invested $510 million to build the 345,000 volt (345 kV) line, which now serves as the backbone of a system designed to meet the identified maximum wind energy potential of Michigan’s Thumb region.

Following years of planning and construction, ITC Midwest completed and energized a major new, high voltage electric transmission line in 2018. As a 110-mile segment of Multi-Value Project (MVP) 3, the 345,000 volt (345 kV) transmission line connects ITC Midwest’s Lakefield Junction and Huntley substations in southern Minnesota, and the Ledyard switching substation and MidAmerican Energy’s Kossuth County substation, in northern Iowa.

ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, is constructing a new substation, named Morocco, in Lenawee County to alleviate stress on the transmission system and provide a more stable and reliable source of energy for the area.

Following years of planning and construction, ITC Midwest has completed a major new, high-voltage electric transmission line. MVP 4 is one of 17 Multi-Value Projects (MVPs) approved by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to provide access to low-cost electricity generation, improve reliability and efficiency, and expand access to renewable energy resources throughout the Midwest. Specifically, this 345,000 volt (345 kV) transmission line will facilitate the integration of clean, renewable and cost-effective energy, including wind energy, from southern Minnesota and northern Iowa for electric consumers across the region. 

To support electric reliability in Southeast Michigan, ITC Holdings Corp., through its ITCTransmission subsidiary, will construct approximately 1 mile of new 120 kV transmission line to connect it to a new substation named Nitro in Northville Twp. Construction is expected to begin in Q1 2022 and be completed by Q2 2022.

The Hugo-to-Valliant Project is an approximately 18-mile, 345,000 volt (345kV) transmission line from a new substation located at the Hugo power plant west of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, to an existing substation southeast of Valliant.

A new high-voltage electric transmission line linking southeast Iowa to northeast Missouri has been energized, including a segment built by ITC Midwest. This section of the MVP 7 line stretches from the Ottumwa Generating Station (OGS) near Chillicothe, Iowa to an Ameren substation located near Adair, Missouri. 

In order to improve the reliability of high voltage electrical service in northern Michigan, ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, is rebuilding approximately 70 miles of the Riggsville - Port Calcite - Rockport 138,000 volt (138 kV) double circuit transmission line spanning the northeast lower peninsula.

ITC Midwest identified the Salem-Hazleton project as a priority after acquiring the region’s high-voltage electric transmission lines in December 2007. In April 2013, ITC Midwest energized the more than 80 miles of line, which extends from ITC Midwest’s Salem substation south of Dubuque, Iowa, to its Hazleton substation in Buchanan County.

The J717 and J728 Generator Interconnection Projects will connect 386 MW of wind generation to ITC’s METC system. To support the interconnection, ITC will construct a new substation, called Salt River, in Warren Twp.

METC will build the new Shale Substation to replace the Saginaw River Substation in Saginaw County. Construction is expected to begin in Q3 2021 and be completed by the end of 2022.

ITC Michigan, through its ITCTransmission subsidiary, is upgrading its 6.4 mile, 120,000 volt (120 kV) Southfield-Sunset transmission line that serves the Farmington, Farmington Hills and Southfield, Mich., communities.

The Spearville-Axtell line, also known as the KETA Project, is a 345,000 volt (345kV) transmission line designed to improve the reliability and efficiency of the regional grid, and make more affordable energy available.

ITC Michigan, through its ITCTransmission subsidiary, constructed approximately three miles of 120,000 volt (120kV) double-circuit transmission line to connect the State and Pioneer substations. This project supports electric reliability and capacity in the Ann Arbor area. Construction was completed in early 2020. 

ITC Holdings Corp., through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC) subsidiary, is upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure in Michigan. METC has completed the rebuild of approximately 22 miles of its Stover – Van Tyle 138 kV transmission line, replacing the existing structures with new monopoles designed for higher-rated conductor (wire).

ITC advanced a grid development vision in 2009 called the Green Power Express™ (GPX™) to move growing power generation development that exceeded local needs in the Upper Midwest to load centers and markets where more power is used.

METC recently rebuilt the line with new steel monopole structures and aluminum conductors (wires) to increase its capacity and reliability.

ITC’s Toll Road Project in Monroe County, Michigan, is providing greater system reliability and operational flexibility in the region.

ITC Holdings Corp., through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC) subsidiary, rebuilt approximately six miles of its Verona – Barnum Creek Jct. 138,000 volt (138 kV) transmission line in Calhoun County. The existing structures were replaced with new 230 kV double-circuit structures and conductor (wires), providing greater reliability in southwest Michigan.

ITC’s METC subsidiary is upgrading electricity transmission infrastructure in Michigan by rebuilding approximately 16 miles of its Vestaburg – Alma 138 kV transmission line.

In order to improve the reliability of high-voltage electrical service in the Kalamazoo area, ITC Michigan, through its Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) subsidiary, is constructing a new substation and two new transmission lines in Almena and Oshtemo townships.