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

July 27, 2012
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.

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.

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.”

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of T&D World, create an account today!