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Wisconsin Regulators Order ATC to Restart Power-Line Application for Port Washington Data Center

The rare procedural reset reopens public input and puts construction timing and route choice in question.

Overview

  • The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to revoke its December completeness finding and told American Transmission Company to restart its application after regulators said the filing had changed too much to review.
  • More than 2,500 public comments arrived during a one-week PSC window, and commissioners cited those filings and over 500 post-deadline changes to maps, costs and studies in deciding the restart.
  • Opponents organized as the Responsible Energy Alliance and pushed an alternative that would route lines largely through existing easements, a plan backed by developer Vantage and the Ozaukee County Board.
  • Local residents say ATC’s proposed routes would cut through private farms and businesses, risking tree removal, property condemnations and harm to livelihoods if new easements are used.
  • ATC said it was disappointed and is weighing options; regulators’ reset leaves open paths including revised filings, new hearings, or appeals and creates unresolved timing and cost uncertainty for the roughly $1.4 billion project.