The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved transmission incentive requests for two projects slated to improve reliability of the nation's interstate transmission system. The projects include a 1,000-mile transmission line that will bring renewable energy from Canada to California and a project that will help relieve congestion in the Mid-Atlantic area.
FERC partially approved Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s (PG&E) petition for a declaratory order for recovery of prudently incurred pre-commercial and abandonment costs related to a proposal that would deliver up to 3,000 MW of new renewable power from British Columbia, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest to California.
‘These two proposals are exceptional in size, financial commitment and potential benefits for consumers,’ says FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher. ‘The actions we take today will help reduce congestion and ensure reliability in two regions of the country with rising electric power needs and limited transmission resources to efficiently deliver the power to customers.’
In a separate case, FERC granted certain transmission rate incentives for a proposed nearly $1 billion transmission project in the Mid-Atlantic region. The PPL Electric Utilities Corp. and Public Service Electric & Gas Co. project, designated the Susquehanna Line, will span 130 miles across northeastern Pennsylvania to northern New Jersey.
