Transmission: The Next Interstate System
A New Vision for Transmission in the U.S.
As we continue into the 21st century, AEP believes that an advanced interstate transmission system should be part of a shared national vision.
In 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, creating the interstate highway system we enjoy today. Eisenhower envisioned vast societal benefits for national defense, economic development, and personal safety.
Fifty years later, in 2006, AEP became the leading utility proponent of the need for a nationwide interstate transmission system modeled after the national interstate highway network.
The nation is in critical need of new transmission infrastructure to eliminate transmission “bottlenecks” that reduce system reliability and raise energy costs for electricity users.
We believe that our new vision – conceptually known as “I-765” -- will efficiently deliver wholesale power regionally within a competitive market while enhancing regional reliability. The concept is embodied in the AEP Interstate Project announced in January 2006. It represents the first attempt by a major utility to propose a new transmission “superhighway” using AEP’s proven 765-kilovolt transmission technology to address constraints affecting the eastern grid.
AEP is now extending its I-765 concept and developing similar projects as part of a larger vision and mission for its transmission business. In keeping with that vision AEP intends to:
- Maintain its leadership in technical innovation of transmission systems
- Set the standards for transmission safety, efficiency and reliability
- Provide for robust market competition that will benefit customers by eliminating bottlenecks in the U.S. transmission grid, and
- Reduce the need for new generation by facilitating the optimal economic dispatch of existing generation assets
Information on the AEP Interstate Project and other transmission initiatives can be found by navigating the adjacent links.
AEP’s vision for expanding wind energy using extra-high voltage (EHV) transmission technology was prominently featured in the Nov./Dec. 2007 issue of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine. (© 2007 IEEE. Reprinted, with permission, from IEEE Power & Energy Magazine)* The article discusses the transmission infrastructure that would be needed to support a nationwide 20% renewable portfolio standard.
What does 20% look like? Developments in wind technology and systems (PDF: 1.46 MB : get viewer)
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