The electric power transmission grid of the contiguous United States consists of 120,000 miles (190,000 km) of lines operated by 500 companies. The electrical power grid that powers Northern America is not a single grid, but is instead divided into multiple wide area synchronous grids. [1] .

Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a transmission network.

The U.S. electric grid has millions of miles of transmission and distribution lines that are strategically placed all over the nation to bring power to where it is needed. Transmission lines are like the highways that allow power to flow from large generators to cities and towns.

Electricity transmission networks are designed to minimize power loss over long distances by transmitting power at high voltage. Power plants generally produce electricity at low voltages (5– 34.5 kilovolts (kV)). “Step up” substations are used to increase the voltage of generated power to allow for transmission over long distances.

Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations to step voltage up or down, electric power transmission to carry power over long distances, and finally electric power distribution to customers. In that last step, voltage is stepped down again to the required service voltage.

The electrical transmission system combined with power plants, distribution systems, and sub-stations to form what is known as the electrical grid. The grid meets society's electricity needs, and is what gets the electrical power from its generation to its end use.

Apr 16, 2024 · Local electric utilities operate the distribution system that connects consumers with the grid regardless of the source of the electricity. Power plants generate the electricity that is delivered to customers through transmission and distribution power lines.

Oct 3, 2024 · The study identifies transmission solutions that can help planners and developers revamp the U.S. power grid to support the next generation of transmission needs and provide broadscale benefits to electric customers.

This primer on electric transmission is intended to help policymakers understand the physics of the transmission system, the economics of transmission, and the policies that government can and does use to influence and govern the transmission system. This book is divided into the following chapters and an appendix:

Jan 21, 2025 · The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that, to use 100% clean energy by 2050, the United States’ current transmission capacity will need to more than double. 1 This is possible, and would also offer us cheaper electricity. But it demands that we build transmission much faster than we have in the past. Making the most of today’s grid