High Voltage Electric Transmission Market Forecast Highlights Bright Spot in Economy -- Planned Spending Exceeds $170 Billion

ATLANTA, Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The C Three Group, LLC ("C Three") announced today the publication of its North American Transmission Line and Substation Market Forecast 2009 Through 2020.  Their research, built on a project-by-project basis, indicates that utilities and coordinating groups in the US and Canada are reporting 65,420 miles of new and upgraded transmission lines over the next eight years.  These projects will upgrade electric reliability as well as connect new sources of power generation – much of which is wind energy – to those populated areas that need it in the North American grid.  How much will they cost?  So far, announced estimates suggest the projects could reach over $170 billion by 2020.

There are also significant associated markets that will benefit.  Almost every major transmission line project will require enhanced or new substations and transformers, a market that could itself easily exceed $40 billion.                            

Ameren and American Electric Power round out the top five companies actively planning a large number of line upgrades and additions.  Zoom out on the market, and the top 30 owners alone report that they could spend $115.4 billion on transmission line improvements, representing 58,921 miles of line in the US and Canada, not including the large segment of supplementary substation work by 2020.

C Three's Market Forecast also provides profiles of the Top 60 Largest Transmission Line Projects planned in North America, including segments of the Energy Gateway Projects in the northwestern US, CREZ development for renewable energy in Texas, and transmission reinforcements in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Details include voltage, length in miles, cost, substations and endpoints, and maps are provided for each major project.

Data from the Market Forecast and Top 60 list is culled from The C Three Group's North American Electric Transmission Project Database.  One of C Three's four core industry databases, the Transmission Project Database contains over 13,000 transmission line and substation projects tracked from early development through completion.

Since January 15, 2012, The C Three Group, LLC has added $2.581 billion and 3,701 miles of new and upgraded transmission line and substation projects to their North American Electric Transmission Project Database reflecting the continuous updating of the database.  "We use the data reported by utilities and coordinating groups to build our Market Forecast from the bottom up.  Interpreting cost and length figures by completion date and voltage into aggregated tables and charts requires experience and industry knowledge.  Additionally, market growth, project delays, and reconfigurations require constant market monitoring.  Because of this fluidity, we will be updating this our Market Forecast every six months for the foreseeable future," says Jean Reaves Rollins, founder of The C Three Group.

The North American Transmission Line and Substation Market Forecast 2009 Through 2020 is proprietary to subscribers of C Three's North American Electric Transmission Project Database.  The 86 page report can be purchased by non-subscribers from their website www.cthree.net.

"We are tearing away the curtain that keeps contractors and other industry folks from knowing what's going on in the transmission world – we know how many people are out there relying on a veritable Easter egg hunt or a crystal ball to tell them the answers, but we are saying we have them right here."

The C Three Group, LLC is a private company based in Atlanta.  The company was founded in 1998 to provide strategic planning, merger & acquisition and market development support to the energy utility industry. Their Market Forecast is available now.

This news release contains forward-looking statements by the use of, and/or, any variations of the words, "anticipate", "estimate", and "expect" while also pertaining to similar forward-looking expressions. The C Three Group, LLC uses public factual information in which information is recorded and is not altered based on opinion. These statements are presented to the best of The C Three Group, LLC's knowledge with subject to economical, geographical, or regulatory uncertainties. Any variation from the above assumptions will result if varying results and The C Three Group, LLC cannot be held accountable. The C Three Group, LLC herein relinquishes its' obligation to publically update any forward-looking statements unless otherwise required.

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