2X
The Capacity
30%
Reduced line losses
34 MW
Generation Freed Up
$43M
upfront cost savings
Increase the Capacity of the two parallel 120 miles 345 kV lines to accommodate growing demand.
Meet their Capacity requirements without modifying or replacing existing structures.
Complete the upgrade while the line remains energized.
Increased Efficiency: Use of ACCC® conductor nearly doubled capacity of the old line, and reduced sag .
Time and Cost Savings: Project completed 8 months ahead of schedule and millions under budget by maintaining the existing structures and keeping the line in service.
Line Loss Reduction: Freed up over 40 MW of generation capacity (cost estimate = $50M+)
Award-Winning: Project awarded Edison Award, the electric power industry’s top honor, by the Edison Electric Institute.
American Electric Power (AEP) needed to increase the capacity of two parallel 120 miles 345 kV lines near the Gulf of Mexico to accommodate growing demand. The valley experienced tremendous population growth, causing record power demand in AEP’s service area. Making matters worse the two 30-year-old transmission lines were the sole source of power to the region. The ambitious project required replacing the conductor on the two lines while energized.
During one of the coldest winters in Texas, the temperatures dropped to freezing. It may not seem cold; however, it caused significant issues for the community since over 99% of homes and businesses in the area relied solely on electric heating. The new peak demand of 2730 MW exceeded the previous Summer Peak by 500 MW. This resulted in load shedding and rolling blackouts to maintain stability.
At the time the project was completed it was estimated that the ACCC® Conductor: Reduced line losses by 300,000 MWh per year; Reduced CO2 by ~200,000 metric tons per year; Freed-up 34 MW of generation otherwise lost. These benefits, and the savings realized by completing the project while the line remained energized, have saved consumers tens of millions of dollars.
240 Mi
of circuits
345 kV
lines
3099
AMPS
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