North American Windpower: Electric Companies Form Trade Group To Strengthen Electric Grid

Electric Companies Form Trade Group To Strengthen Electric Grid

by NAW Staff Wednesday October 11 2006

A group of U.S. electric companies has formed a national nonprofit trade organization, the Working Group for Investment in Reliable and Economic Electric Systems (WIRES), that is dedicated to promoting investment in the North American electric transmission network.

WIRES' members are ITC Transmission, National Grid, Trans-Elect Inc., TXU Electric Delivery, and the electric utilities, cooperatives and municipal utilities comprising the CapX 2020 consortium in the upper Midwest. WIRES' mission is to make strengthening the high-voltage transmission network a priority for the industry, investors and policymakers.

"A robust transmission network is critical to the economies of North America," says Larry Bruneel, president of WIRES and vice president, federal affairs, for ITC Transmission. "This sector must be infused with new capital if we are to accommodate service reliability, more liquid and efficient power markets, the next wave of major generation additions and the demands of customers for access to renewable energy resources and advanced technologies."

WIRES will work to inform state and federal decision makers and the public about the challenges facing the nation's electrical system as well as the benefits derived from better planning and greater investment in transmission capacity.

Membership is open to publicly and privately owned integrated utilities, transmission companies, cooperatives, technology companies, private equity firms, and government and academic persons interested in electric transmission issues.

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