PPL Electric Utilities Corporation has begun the application and approval process for the first segment of Project Compass – a major new transmission line proposed by PPL Electric Utilities to provide significant benefits for consumers.

The first segment is a 95-mile, $500-million to $600-million line between Blakely, Lackawanna County, and Ramapo, N.Y.

The proposed 345-kilovolt link between the PJM Interconnection and the New York Independent System Operator is intended to make the electric grid more reliable and secure for people throughout the region, and to provide an estimated savings of at least $200 million per year for New York consumers by reducing transmission congestion.

PPL Electric Utilities filed an interconnection application with NYISO October 27. Additional approvals are needed from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the New York Public Service Commission, PJM and other agencies.

"This line would provide an important addition to the nation's transmission infrastructure," said Gregory N. Dudkin, president of PPL Electric Utilities. He noted that the company has extensive experience planning, obtaining approval for and building major regional transmission lines, including the recently energized Susquehanna-Roseland line and the nearly complete Northeast-Pocono Reliability Project.

Among the benefits of the first segment of Project Compass are:

— Lower electric bills: PPL Electric Utilities estimates that electric customers in New York could save at least $200 million per year because the power line will reduce transmission congestion and lower the wholesale price for electricity.

— Better electric service: The line is designed to make the electric grid more reliable and more secure for people throughout the region.

— New jobs and economic development: A multi-year construction period for the power line, if approved, would create jobs and provide benefits for service businesses and the regional economy.

The exact route of the first segment of Project Compass has not yet been determined, and must be approved by regulators in both states. PPL Electric Utilities will consider public input and work carefully with all appropriate regulators and environmental permitting agencies to find the best route.

The current schedule calls for the first segment to be in service by 2023.

While the first segment can stand alone as a valuable grid improvement, PPL Electric Utilities continues to refine the overall plan for the rest of Project Compass.

As currently envisioned, the full project would run about 475 miles from western Pennsylvania into southeastern New York.

The cost of Project Compass is estimated at $3 billion to $4 billion.  Capital expenditures for Project Compass are not included in PPL Corporation's most recent capital expenditure projections.

NewsClip:

PPL Seeks To Start Massive Transmission Line Project

11/2/2015