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• distribution • fuel diversity • generation • natural gas • transmission

• transmission resources electric company members only • EEI committees and other resources

Transmission Projects: At A Glance January 2008 - Entire Report  (low-res, 6 MB) - TOC and Intro - Companies A-D - Companies E-I - Companies N-P - Companies S-X

Transmission

The U.S. electric transmission grid consists of more than 200,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines (230 Kilovolts and greater).  Transmission lines carry electricity from power plants to areas where electricity is needed. Electricity travels at nearly the speed of light, arriving at a destination at almost the same moment it is produced. Reliable electric service and regional electricity markets depend on strong transmission systems. 

Why we need to invest in transmission now

As our country’s demand for electricity continues to increase, the system must be expanded and upgraded to meet the needs of our growing population and digital economy. In order to build the system to better meet current and future demand, to alleviate congestion, and to reinforce system reliability, electric companies have earmarked billions of additional dollars for investment in the coming decade.

• From 2000 to 2006, electric companies invested more than $37.8 billion in the nation’s transmission system.
• Electric companies are planning to spend an additional $37 billion from 2007 to 2010.

Actual and Planned Transmission Investment by Shareholder-Owned Electric Companies (2000-2010)

Resources

• Electricity Policy Issues
  Electricity transmission is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
• Meeting U.S. Transmission Needs 
  Reviews the state of electric transmission investment in the U.S., prepared by Energy Security Analysis, Inc.
• EEI Principles on Transmission Investment
  Effective wholesale competition needs a robust, reliable and cost-effective transmission infrastructure.
• Reliability
  The electric power industry is taking aggressive actions to strengthen reliability.
• EEI Survey of Transmission Investment: Historical and Planned Capital Expenditures (1999-2008) 
  This report provides details on two EEI survey projects that identified historical and planned transmission investment by investor-owned utilities.
• 2006 T&D Construction Expenditure Data 
  Data on transmission and distribution construction expenditures from the shareholder-owned electric utilities sector.
• Transmission Projects: At A Glance
  Report highlights major EEI member company transmission projects either recently completed, currently under construction, or in various stages of the proposal/planning/siting process (January 2008).

© 2008 Edison Electric Institute