US utility giants in transmission pact to boost green power

Three leading US utilities have entered a joint planning agreement to spur high-capacity backbone transmission development, a move they say will help add and manage more renewable generation on their systems and enable them to better meet “unprecedented” electric power demand.

The pact is between American Electric Power (AEP), Dominion Energy Virginia, and FirstEnergy, and comprise 345kV, 500kV, and 765kV transmission projects across multiple states within the nation’s largest power market.

The three utilities border one another within PJM Interconnection, which operates the largest US competitive bulk electricity market in all or parts of 13 states from New Jersey west to Illinois, and in District of Columbia.

“Energy-intensive industries, electrification and the energy transition all rely on a robust power grid,” said Mark Mroczynski, president, FirstEnergy Transmission.

“By drawing upon the combined experience of three leading transmission developers, we can take the proactive steps needed to build new infrastructure that will ensure our communities have the power they need for sustained health and economic growth in the future,” he added.

The utilities jointly proposed the projects through PJM's Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) Open Window process in September. They remain in the early stages of development.

If selected by PJM, the utilities would then undertake an extensive, multi-year process to select routes, perform environmental studies, engage with communities, obtain state and local permitting and build the projects.