American Transmission Co. releases annual 10-year plan

PEWAUKEE, Wis. – Noting that evolving energy markets and increased use of renewable energy are driving the need for electrical grid improvements, American Transmission Co. has announced plans to assure continued reliability in its recent 10-Year Transmission System Assessment.

“Future projects will address economic and public policy benefits, along with local and regional reliability,” said John Flynn, ATC’s executive vice president of strategic planning and project development. “Our 10-year plan calls for $3 billion to $3.6 billion in transmission system improvements.”

The expenditures include $1.2 billion in improvements and additions to the transmission network, $1.1 billion in maintenance and $0.5 billion in regional projects, the costs of which will be shared across the Upper Midwest. Other capital projects will range from $0.2 billion to $0.8 billion.

The report also notes that as regional planning efforts evolve and become more sophisticated, the economic benefits of transmission improvements become more evident. Easing congestion and providing access to sources of lower cost energy will help keep electricity prices in check. ATC estimates that, over the past three years, 99 percent of the cost of its transmission projects will be offset by savings in energy prices over the life of the projects.

The 10-Year Assessment, available online at www.ATC10YearPlan.com, lists more than 70 projects across the ATC service area.