American Electric Power (AEP) needed to increase the capacity of two parallel 120-mile 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.
30%
Reduced line losses
34 MW
Generation Freed Up
$43 M
upfront cost savings
200K
metric tons of co2 saved
Increase the capacity of the two parallel 120-mile 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
240 Mi
of circuits
345 kV
lines
1440 Mi
ACSR Drake Replaced
Award-Winning: Project awarded Edison Award, the electric power industry’s top honor, by the Edison Electric Institute.
Uninterrupted Service: A temporary single-phase line was designed in collaboration with AEP’s contractor to replace 240-line miles of conductor while energized, ensuring uninterrupted service.
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+)
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