Overview and Schedule
In 2007, PJM Interconnection, Inc. (PJM) approved upgrades to the region's electric
transmission system, including the construction of a new high-voltage transmission
line from southwestern West Virginia to central Maryland, designed to maintain the
reliability of the regional transmission system.
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Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power (AEP) have announced a joint venture to build the Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH), a new transmission line to expand the regional electric transmission grid.
The PATH project consists of a 765-kilovolt transmission line extending approximately 275 miles from the Amos Substation in Putnam County, W.Va., to the proposed Kemptown Substation southeast of New Market, Md. The project also includes a new Welton Spring Substation along the proposed route in northwest Hardy County, W.Va.
Download the fact sheet for the PATH project (PDF).Why is PATH Needed?
The U.S. Department of Energy, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and PJM all agree new transmission lines must be built to prevent documented reliability concerns. The latest PJM analyses, conducted as part of the independent grid operator's 2010 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP), are consistent with previous studies since 2007 identifying PATH as the preferred solution for resolving issues on the region's transmission grid. Based on the 2010 RTEP findings, PJM is directing that PATH be placed into service by June 1, 2015, at the latest. PJM coordinates the movement of electricity, ensures reliability of the transmission system and plans transmission expansion in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The cost of the project will be shared by all customers in the PJM region.