Solving the transmission problem

The face of the customer of the transmission system is changing in the US economy. The old definition of transmission being only for the purpose of delivering energy from central generation stations to loads that are captives of the monopoly utility are all but gone, unfortunately our regulatory structure, planning assumptions and formal customer definitions lag this shift. Here, the author argues that, in order for owner operators of transmission networks to maximize the value of these assets, the industry must be structured such that the public policy goals of mitigating the vertical market power of the old utilities, the needs of the evolving market segments, and the interests of the asset owners must be aligned in a business model that builds collaborative relationships. The current debate on the structure of the electrical industry is entrenched in the protection of historic interests