February 1, 2008—The US electric utility industry invested $6.9 billion in transmission projects in 2006, and members of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) plan to invest another $38.1 billion from 2007 to 2010, according to a new EEI report, as reviewed by the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
This investment represents a 60% increase above the amount invested from 2003 to 2006, says EEI, which is the association of shareholder-owned US electric companies and represents about 70% of the US electric power industry.
The new report, an updated version of EEI’s [ital]Transmission Projects: At A Glance[unital] report notes that transmission lines are being added for a variety of reasons, and one is to connect remote renewable energy resources to the electrical grid.
The report specifically notes that EEI members are building the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project, which includes more than 250 miles of new and upgraded high-voltage transmission lines to support renewable generation development in California.
EEI members are also building the Southwest Minnesota Wind Expansion Project, which involves installing about 220 miles of new transmission lines and upgrading 300 miles of existing transmission lines to deliver more than 800 megawatts of wind resources to the electrical grid.
To read the full EEI report, which includes detailed descriptions of each transmission project, visit the EEI Web site.
