Transmission System

Platte River’s transmission system is comprised of high-voltage power lines and substations where the power is delivered to the electric utilities of Platte River’s member municipalities.

• 233 miles of wholly owned and operated high-voltage lines (5% underground)
        165 miles of 230 kilovolts (kV)
         68 miles of 115 kV
• 513 miles of high-voltage lines jointly owned with other utilities
• Platte River also utilizes 115 kV transmission lines owned by Western Area Power Administration
• 8 wholly owned substations–including one at the Medicine Bow Wind Project
• Equipment in 19 substations owned by Platte River’s member municipalities

Platte River's transmission system is connected with those of other utilities through the Western Interconnection electrical network. The Western Interconnection is one of the three major power grids in North America. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains and from western Canada to Baja California in Mexico. The Eastern Interconnection and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas are the other major grids.

Platte River operates its transmission system on a non-discriminatory basis under the open access requirements of the federal government. All wholesale buyers and sellers of electricity can use the system under the same terms and conditions that Platte River uses to serve its own customers. Transmission capacity can be reserved as available through the Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS).