Overview of the transmission system in the Southern Company area

This paper provides an overview of the current status of the transmission system in the Southern Companies´ service areas in Georgia, Alabama, northwest Florida, and coastal Mississippi including a discussion of the approaches utilized in planning and expanding the transmission system. The paper also discusses current and emerging challenges in ensuring safe, reliable, and economical system expansion as we enter a period of dramatic transition in the mix of available resource technologies, demand side options, and evolving customer load components.