PATH announces change to transmission line completion date
GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - American Electric Power and Allegheny Energy, Inc. announced a schedule change for their proposed transmission project.
The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH), a 765-kilovolt line extending from southwestern West Virginia to central Maryland, now has a June 2014 completion deadline. The one-year schedule change results from a recent reliability analysis by PJM Interconnection (PJM) that considered various factors, including its 2009 load forecast.
PJM, the regional grid operator directing the construction of PATH, has confirmed that the project remains critical to addressing regional reliability concerns. PJMÂ’s latest update of its reliability analysis confirms that significant overloads and voltage problems will occur in the region, beginning in 2014, if the PATH project is not completed.
The PATH project team expects to file applications for approval to build the line with the West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia regulatory commissions in the second quarter. Timely approvals by the state commissions are needed to meet the new deadline established by PJM.
Related News
Magnitude 5 quake strikes near Iran nuclear plant
DUBAI - A magnitude 5 earthquake struck southern Iran early Friday near the Islamic Republic's only nuclear power plant. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake hit Iran's Bushehr province at 5:23 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It put the magnitude at 5.1 and the depth of the earthquake at 38 kilometres (24 miles).
Iranian state media did not immediately report on the quake. However, the Bushehr nuclear power plant was designed to withstand much stronger earthquakes.
A magnitude 5 earthquake can cause considerable damage.
Iran sits on major fault lines and is prone to near-daily earthquakes. In…