Utility Status

Resources/Additional Information

The Village of Merrillan purchases power from projects that are renewable energy, such as wind and solar. The difference in capacity that is not met with these projects is then purchased from Dairyland Power Cooperative. This allows the Village of keep rates stable and lower for residents.

The Village also owns and operates its own hydro-electric dam on Lower Lake, generating on average of 30 kW and up to about 70 kW. When the water levels are low the generation capability will be adjusted accordingly to avoid draining the lake. Some additional details here: https://hydroreform.org/hydro-project/merrillan/

The Village also owns and operates a diesel generator that can be operated during high capacity or peak events. This along with many other municipal utilities with similar capabilities, allows strain on the grid during high usage times to be mitigated, therefore preventing blackouts.

Our main feed into the Village is on transmission lines owned by Jackson Electric, therefore if there is an outage affecting these power lines it can affect the Village.

We have been and will continue to explore additional options, such as updates to our infrastructure, adding generating capabilities (solar + battery, hydro, wind), and other areas to help create a more reliable electric grid for Village residents.

Additional Outage Links

Jackson Electric Outage Info (if you see the Town of Alma with high outage counts, it is likely affecting Merrillan as well): CLICK HERE
Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Outages: CLICK HERE
Wisconsin Outages Map CLICK HERE

Electric Grid Links

Grid Status: MISO
EIA: MISO Grid Monitor
MISO Operations Display