PEWAUKEE, Wis.--(Business Wire)--
The U.S. Department of Energy notified American Transmission Co. today that two
ATC applications for smart grid investment grants totaling $12.7 million were
selected for award negotiations. The grants to ATC are among 100 being made
nationwide - totaling $3.4 billion - by the DOE to advance smart grid
technologies.
One of ATC`s applications was for $1.3 million in funding to extend its use of
phasor measurement units - a new technology for monitoring the status of the
grid in real time. Earlier this year, ATC installed a limited number of the PMU
devices on its system and evaluated their performance. The PMUs are considered
one of the most important measuring devices of the future of power systems
because they provide a wider, more integrated and time synchronized view of the
system as a whole.
A second ATC application for $11.4 million was for funding to extend its use of
fiber optics to improve communications between its electric substations and its
system operations centers. ATC already has installed optical ground wire fiber
on a number of its recent transmission construction projects. More widespread
use of OPGW will provide ATC with a more secure and reliable data network
infrastructure. The OPGW also provides a means to transmit information from the
PMUs back to the operations centers.
"We are pleased that these two project applications were selected," said John
Procario, ATC president and chief executive officer. "The grants give us a means
to proceed with these new technologies to improve our ability to monitor the
grid and enhance the reliability of our infrastructure needed to help keep the
lights on."
ATC owns, operates, builds and maintains the high-voltage electric transmission
system serving portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Formed
in 2001 as the nation`s first multi-state transmission-only utility, ATC has
invested $2.1 billion to improve the adequacy and reliability of its
infrastructure. ATC now is a $2.5 billion company with 9,400 miles of
transmission lines and 510 substations. The company is a member of the Midwest
ISO regional transmission organization, and provides nondiscriminatory service
to all customers, supporting effective competition in energy markets without
favoring any market participant. For more information, visit our Web site at
www.atcllc.com.
American Transmission Co.
MEDIA LINE: 877.506.6117
www.atcllc.com
or
Anne Spaltholz
aspaltholz@atcllc.com
262.506.6933 (office)
262.424.7742 (cell)
Copyright Business Wire 2009
