Over the past year, ITC has been focused on identifying solutions for how to integrate wind and other renewable resources. The result of ITC's work is called the "Green Power Express", a broad network of 765 kilovolt (kV) transmission facilities that has been designed to efficiently move up to 12,000 MW of renewable energy in wind-rich areas to major Midwest load centers. The Green Power Express is consistent with the vision outlined by President Obama in his national energy agenda. President Obama specifically mentioned his desire "to get wind power from North Dakota to population centers, like Chicago." The Green Power Express will allow this goal to be met.

Once built the Green Power Express transmission project will traverse portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana and will ultimately include approximately 3,000 miles of extra high-voltage (765 kV) transmission. Project cost is estimated at between $10 and $12 billion.

This project is the first of its kind, and there are four very important points you should know about the Green Power Express:

• Green Power Express addresses a recognized lack of electric transmission infrastructure needed to integrate wind energy from the wind resource-rich regions in Iowa, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota, to load center communities south and east. This transmission plan will further propel wind energy development in the Upper Great Plains region of the Midwest.
• The plan supports a national energy vision and furthers the objectives of the Upper Midwest Transmission Development Initiative announced by the Governors of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
• The project is truly 'green'. In addition to the 12,000 MW of electricity that can be moved from wind rich regions, the Green Power Express may result in a reduction of up to 34 million metric tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of the annual emissions of about seven to nine 600 megawatt coal plants, or nine to 11 million automobiles.
• ITC is uniquely positioned and qualified to build this project. Our independent status, singular focus on transmission, existing Midwest operations, and track record of successfully investing nearly $1 billion in electric transmission system improvements over the past five years gives us an advantage to move this project forward quickly to meet the Midwest region's energy needs.

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