2015

10-Year
Assessment

Our progress

2015-ProgressOne of the first efforts ATC undertook when it began operations in 2001 was to improve transmission capacity through better coordination of planning, construction and operation of transmission assets. Prior to ATC’s creation, the transmission grid in our service area was operating at its limits. There was little incentive for transmission owners to make investments in the system; it was geographically constrained by its presence between two of the Great Lakes and outages of major generators exposed weaknesses in the capability of the grid.

ATC developed a system‑wide planning process to effectively and economically improve electric reliability. Today, after $3.5 billion in investment, we have created a grid that enables our customers to participate in and reap the benefits of the wholesale energy market. Our flexible, responsive planning process also is adapting to the changing ways the grid is being used to realize the economic opportunities provided by that marketplace.

Due in large part to our asset management efforts, our reliability has remained best‑in‑class in several industry benchmarking studies. For 2014, we scored in the top decile for 100‑kV to 161‑kV performance and top quartile for 345‑ to 500‑kV and 69‑kV performance with our peer transmission operators.

The value of our single‑focus, transmission‑only company is highlighted by our unparalleled success in planning, siting, building, maintaining and operating electric transmission. Since we were formed in 2001, we have:

  • Upgraded more than 1,944 miles of transmission lines,
  • Improved 170 electric substations,
  • Built 51 new transmission lines (621 miles),
  • Connected 6,000 MW of new generation at 24 sites,
  • Saved customers more than $100 million a year in reduced energy costs with access to the marketplace and lower line losses,
  • Increased import and export capability and
  • Improved transmission reliability.