ITC Great Plains Fast Facts
- Headquartered in Topeka, Kansas
- Operational July 2006
- ITC Great Plains, LLC was formed in July 2006 as a subsidary of ITC Grid Development, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ITC)
- Executive management team comprised of two multi-generation Kansans
- Earned utility status from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on September 11, 2008
- Filed for utility status before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on July 6, 2007 – status pending
- Member of Southwest Power Pool
- Regulated by FERC
What is a transmission grid?
A transmission grid is a high-voltage system that transmits electricity to local electric distribution facilities from generating plants.
Learn more about the transmission grid and how ITC is working to help modernize the grid.
What do transmission towers look like?
Unlike the smaller wooden electric poles that carry electricity through your neighborhood, transmission towers are large structures, often made of steel but sometimes of wood, that carry high-voltage electric wires across long distances.
What does it mean to be an independent transmission company?
Although transmission serves as the backbone of all energy delivery systems and electricity demand has increased by about 25 percent since 1990, construction of transmission facilities has decreased about 30 percent. According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, power outages and power quality disturbances cost the economy between $25 billion and $180 billion annually, respectively. Amazingly, 70 percent of the nation's transmission lines and large power transformers are at least 30 years old.
As the nation's first - and only - truly independent transmission provider, ITC is a unique player in America's patchwork system. ITC is generation and technology neutral. In other words, we connect all forms of generation, from coal plants to wind farms and solar to nuclear, and we do so on a non-discriminatory basis. When we started this business seven years ago, we had a vision to become a leader in the build-out of a more reliable and robust transmission system capable of meeting the needs of a 21st century, energy-intensive economy. We have made great strides toward this goal by investing more than $2.5 billion through our operating subsidiaries ITCTransmission, ITC Midwest and METC since our inception in 2003.
How does ITC Great Plains plan to provide better service to its customers?
ITC Great Plains will build an energy superhighway connecting our customers with reliable and low-cost electricity. We will do this by investing in capital projects in Kansas and Oklahoma that will deliver dependable electric service to businesses and homes.
These improvements will help develop renewable energy resources as well as relieve system congestion (which leads to service interruptions and loss of power), reduce losses that occur as electricity travels through the system, increase our reliability and stabilize the transmission system. All of these benefits lead to a decrease in overall energy cost.
Who are the customers of ITC Great Plains?
Our customers are companies who operate power plants and distribution systems. When a power plant generates electricity, we move the electricity from the power plant to the local distribution utility that delivers electricity to your home or place of business. By providing efficient and reliable transmission service we ensure the end-user has access to affordable, reliable, low-cost electricity. To see a picture of how the electric system works, visit here.
ITC Great Plains also has many Partners in Business – people and organizations who we depend on to operate efficiently and effectively. They include regulatory agencies, local governments, communities and business groups, legislators, environmental groups and vendors. Our Partners help keep our company healthy, viable, and strong.
