FERC Order 679 Responsible for $23bn of Transmission Infrastructure Investment in 2012-2016

TransmissionHub Releases North America Electric Power Industry Data

AURORA, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nearly $23bn of electric transmission investment that has applied for FERC incentive rate treatment under Order 679 is expected to be made between 2012 and 2016, bringing the total from 2008 to 2016 to $36.2bn, according to TransmissionHub data.

“FERC Order 679 was designed to stimulate investment in transmission, which had seen decades of underinvestment by the time the rule was issued in 2006.”

The companies with the highest projected investments are:

• Southern California Edison, with $4.9bn of investment between 2012 and 2016. The company is planning to bring online 25 transmission projects.
• Dominion Resources, with $2.9bn of planned investments. Of 36 transmission projects, 30 are scheduled to come online between 2012 and 2016.
• PacificCorp, with $2bn of investment concentrated on its Energy Gateway transmission expansion project. In 2016 alone, the company will spend $600m of that total.
• Exelon, with $2.1bn of investment in projects including the Reliability Interregional Transmission Extension line (RITELine).

“The efficiency and reliability of the U.S. transmission system are key to lowering energy costs and encouraging economic growth,” Rosy Lum, chief analyst, TransmissionHub, said. "FERC Order 679 was designed to stimulate investment in transmission, which had seen decades of underinvestment by the time the rule was issued in 2006.”

The full report is available on TransmissionHub.com.

About TransmissionHub:

Energy Central's TransmissionHub is an interactive, multi-channel information resource serving electric power transmission professionals. Providing reliable data—including the most robust North American project database available, fully integrated source documents, detailed maps, plus industry insights from senior analysts and exclusive editorial coverage—TransmissionHub keeps the transmission market connected online and in person via daily newsletters, weekly summary reports, webcasts and regional events.

About Energy Central:

Energy Central was founded in 1996 to satisfy the global power industry's need for a reliable, trusted information hub where executives and field representatives alike could share ideas and discuss concepts that could alter the future of electric energy. Energy Central provides groundbreaking research, insightful reports and analytics, advisory services, and original, thought-provoking commentary—in print, online and through well-attended events—on energy-driven topics such as utility business, smart grid, renewable energy, energy storage, transmission and distribution, generation and customer analytics.