Copperton Projects
Project Background
Responding to the needs of the changing energy landscape, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO), the regional grid planning organization for 15 states, including Michigan, devoted several years of an intensive, collaborative effort to develop a Long-Range Transmission Plan (LRTP) to build needed high-voltage transmission infrastructure across the Midwest region. ITC actively participated in this process and advocated for the LRTP projects.
In December 2024, the MISO Board of Directors unanimously approved LRTP Tranche 2.1, the largest portfolio of transmission projects in our nation’s history. LRTP Tranche 2.1 includes– 24 projects totaling 3,631 miles for regional projects in MISO’s Midwest subregion (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin). The portfolio is comprised of 345kV facilities and a new 765kV backbone.
Copperton Projects
For the Copperton Projects, ITC will:
COPPERTON-LUDINGTON
- Add 345 kV equipment to Salt River substation (Copperton) in Midland County.
- Build an approximately 159-mile, double circuit 345 kV transmission line from Ludington substation in Mason County to Copperton substation in Midland County.
COPPERTON-NELSON ROAD
- Build an approximately 55-mile, double-circuit 345 kV transmission line from Nelson Road substation in Gratiot County to Copperton substation in Midland County.
COPPERTON-TITTABAWASSEE
- Build an approximately 40-mile, double-circuit 345 kV transmission line from Tittabawassee substation in Midland County to Copperton substation in Midland County.
About ITC
ITC, through its subsidiaries ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC), owns and maintains approximately 9,100 circuit miles of high-voltage electric lines and approximately 400 substations throughout Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. METC will build and maintain the Copperton Projects.
FAQ
As an independent, non-profit Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) acts as an “air traffic controller” for the regional grid with the mission of working collaboratively with electricity stakeholders across 15 US states and Manitoba. Forty-five million people depend on MISO to generate and transmit the right amount of electricity every minute of every day – reliably, dependably and cost-effectively.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) initiated a collaborative and innovative effort, known as Long Range Transmission Planning (LRTP), to provide a roadmap for future transmission investment across the MISO region.
MISO’s LRTP is a group of four planned phases, or tranches, with Tranche 2.1 representing a $21.8 billion investment of 24 transmission projects in MISO’s Midwest Subregion and includes projects in Michigan. Overall, the LRTP projects are the largest portfolio of long-range transmission projects in RTO history, providing a roadmap for future transmission investment across the MISO footprint.