ATC studies show need for $2.5 billion in investment

From a news release issued by the American Transmission Company (ATC):

PEWAUKEE, Wis. – American Transmission Co. has completed its annual electric transmission system assessment and has identified $2.5 billion in necessary improvements over the next 10 years. The total includes $1 billion for transmission network upgrades, along with $1.5 billion in interconnection and asset renewal projects, infrastructure replacements and relocations, and other smaller network reliability improvements. That is down from the 2008 10-year assessment of $2.7 billion, although the current forecast may change due to regional initiatives to build transmission infrastructure to support renewable generation.

“While ATC has made significant progress since beginning operation in 2001, we continue our process to assess and reassess the needs of our customers to determine and evolve, over time, the best set of transmission projects to meet those needs,” explained Flora Flygt, director of transmission planning at ATC. “Now, more than ever, we are committed to an open, collaborative process to select best-value projects that resolve multiple electric system issues over a broad region.”

The $1 billion investment in new transmission infrastructure includes:
• 131 miles of new transmission lines,
• upgrades to more than 399 miles of existing lines and
• 21 new transformers and 29 new capacitor banks.

The ATC report lists nine regional collaborative planning initiatives in which ATC is leading or participating, including the SMARTransmission Study to identify extra-high voltage transmission infrastructure needed to move wind power within a nine- state region from the Dakotas to Ohio, as well as the Regional Generator Outlet study being conducted by the Midwest Independent System Operator.