July 2006

Growth Means Choice: Power Lines or Outages

Expansion of electric system benefits both current residents and newcomers

The Census Bureau recently announced that from 2000 to 2005, Georgia had 18 of the nation’s 100 fastest-growing counties.

The Bureau also estimates that our state would add another 3.8 million people between 2005 and 2030. How will our state’s electric infrastructure be able to handle this spike in energy demand?

The answer can be found at a company owned by Georgia’s EMCs, including Walton. Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) owns, builds and maintains the high-voltage power lines and substations that link EMCs to power plants and other generators.

GTC must ensure that electric transmission lines and substations are sufficient to meet growing energy demands of the EMCs. The company maintains and upgrades nearly 2,700 of the state’s 16,000 miles of transmission lines. GTC currently is building more than 70 miles of transmission lines each year.

The need for capacity doesn’t just come from population growth, but also from increasing electricity use. Since 2000, GTC’s system peak in energy consumption has risen by 50 percent, and is expected to almost double by 2014.  By 2030, energy demand among Georgia Transmission’s consumer population base is predicted to nearly triple.

The EMCs have a major role in meeting Georgia’s electricity appetite; collectively they serve nearly half the state’s residents covering more than 70 percent of Georgia’s land area.

They’re also committed to keeping up. Through Georgia Transmission, the EMCs have jointly invested more than $600 million on 862 construction projects in the last five years, adding 334 miles of new transmission lines. Additionally, Georgia Transmission plans to spend another $360 million in the next three years to create 230 miles of new transmission lines and 62 substations.

A robust grid means fewer and shorter outages in all corners of the state. 

New power lines are built with the cooperation of property owners, residents and community leaders. This is one reason why Georgia’s electric service stays reliable in the face of growing demand. It’s also why our state, unlike others, is not facing severe electric transmission shortages, forced outages and political storms over costly solutions.

Georgia is in good shape because thousands of people from utilities and communities work together to build the power lines and substations that keep us ahead of the power curve.

Simply put, these people protect our right to light.

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