May 2007

Preventing Congestion on Georgia's Electric Grid

An update from CEO Ronnie Lee

Atlanta has been compared to Los Angeles in terms of growth, sprawl and traffic congestion. As Georgia’s economy and population boom, some similarities are undeniable. But there is one area where Georgians are years ahead of southern Californians.

Our electric transmission grid–the high-voltage arteries of our state’s electric system–runs smoothly.

Why do we have such a strong electric grid in Georgia? Will it stay that way forever?

During the ‘90s, Georgia’s population grew by 26 percent. The Census Bureau predicts that we’ll add another 3.8 million people over the next 25 years. This will create strain on the statewide power grid if there’s no plan to strengthen it.

To keep pace with the increasing demand for power, utilities in Georgia’s Integrated Transmission System (ITS) monitor and expand the grid. But the grid is only as strong as its weakest link. A break in the chain in Rome could lead to an electricity shortage in Savannah.

The challenge is made even greater because Georgians are buying larger homes requiring more heat and air conditioning.

They’re also filling them with more electronic gadgets like big-screen TVs and multiple computers. While the state’s population will grow by 17 percent this decade, energy demand may grow by 39 percent.

Through the ITS, Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC), a not-for-profit corporation owned by 39 of the state’s EMCs, including Walton, jointly plans and manages its share of the state’s transmission lines. As its part of the partnership, GTC plans to build about 150 miles of new transmission lines each year.

One part of this process is the construction of bulk transmission lines that help make up the grid, carrying large quantities of power around the state. Bulk lines often run along the side of the road or through cross-country paths.

Electricity travels through these lines at 186,000 miles per second–the speed of light. That means electricity can travel from Blue Ridge to Brunswick in less time than it takes to blink. We don’t notice these lines that make up the backbone of Georgia’s electric system until the power goes out or a new line is planned for our area.

The Northeast Georgia Transmission Grid Upgrades are part of a statewide system improvement.  New transmission lines and facilities will be built in several counties including Oconee, Walton, Morgan, and Athens-Clarke.

These projects include six new transmission lines, three new substations and one new switching station. Once completed, these projects will bring the electricity grid up to date in the northern part of the state, where the last upgrades took place before 1980.

These lines strengthen the grid to ensure adequate capacity to meet growth. If these projects aren’t built, we may see more blinking clocks, outages during storms and slower recovery time afterward. If neglected long enough, the risk becomes greater for emergency conservation, blackouts or political power storms like those in southern California.

The planners of EMC-owned GTC work closely with local government leaders, friends and neighbors to identify the best routes for new transmission lines. GTC is committed to building new power lines with the cooperation of property owners, community leaders and residents like you.

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