Associated and its six owner G&Ts have built and maintain one of the largest integrated transmission systems in the country. This system enables Associated to transact business with electric cooperatives, investor-owned and municipal utilities, power marketing firms and regional transmission organizations for the benefit of members.
Together, Associated and its six owner transmission cooperatives collaborate to protect and invest in high-voltage transmission facilities and technologies that ensure resilience for member cooperatives, as well as full compliance with requirements of the North American Electric Reliability Corp.
Building transmission facilities
Transmission planning and construction take years of good planning to ensure transmission system reliability and resiliency.
Planning alternate pathways means transmission line downtime doesn’t prevent electricity from reaching a substation. Associated identifies multiple pathways for the electricity to reach customers. This contingency planning is part of Associated’s mission to provide reliable energy.
Associated works with landowners, neighboring utilities, regional transmission organizations and municipalities in an open, transparent process to lower transmission costs and strengthen regional reliability.
Investing in true resiliency
Associated’s transmission system investments strengthen the electricity superhighway. The transmission assets of Associated and its six member-owner transmission cooperatives have maintained exceptional reliability even with increasing influxes of intermittent power.
Transmission investments are planned to renew, upgrade and add to the 10,000-plus mile network of high-voltage infrastructure. The reliability and resiliency of the system will remain a strength and focus as surrounding systems retire assets and new renewable generation projects go online.