About
Our Vision
WIRES envisions a robust and effective twenty-first century, high-voltage electric transmission system in North America that will make critical contributions to economic growth, technological advancement, and consumer benefits.
Image courtesy of ITC
Our Mission
WIRES, a non-profit trade association with an international membership, promotes investment in the North American electric transmission system, robust and effective transmission solutions to economic, environmental, and reliability challenges, and the reduction or elimination of uneconomic barriers to transmission development. This mission is accomplished through the development and dissemination of information, strategic advocacy, and innovation in regulatory, policy making, industry, and educational forums.
Image courtesy of AEP
“I’ve repeatedly said that building out the transmission system to address the energy transition and meet the goals of achieving a cleaner, more resilient grid in the next two to three decades is going to require a moonshot effort.” – Larry Gasteiger
Our Principles
Guiding principles which shape the WIRES organization and its mission:
Awareness and Education
WIRES commits to advance the understanding by the public and its representatives of the unique importance of the electric grid and the challenges that slow or prevent its upgrade or expansion in the public interest. WIRES will support and advance cooperation and collaboration among government, industry, and financial institutions in pursuit of energy diversity, access to clean energy supplies, electric reliability, and competitive power market through transmission solutions.
Well-Planned Transmission Infrastructure Investment Yields Multiple Benefits
WIRES commits to support effective and timely regional and inter-regional planning procedures and regulations that strengthen and modernize the transmission grid to promote and enhance consumer benefits from improved reliability, operational flexibility, cost-effective electricity, access to new generation including renewable energy development, economic competitiveness, and system security.
Effective Transmission Policies Remove Barriers to Investment
WIRES commits to promote state and federal policies that (a) support transmission investment and capital attraction, reduce business, financial, and regulatory risk and promote greater certainty for investors, (b) diminish unreasonable and uneconomic barriers to transmission development, (c) favor competitive bulk power markets, reduce transmission congestion, and improve customer access to all sources of electric generation, including renewable resources, and (d) lead to consistent and efficient regional and inter-regional transmission solutions.
Careful and Timely Siting of Facilities
WIRES commits to advocate for efficient and collaborative regional, state, and where necessary federal facilities siting processes and procedures that take account of the interests of all stakeholders, are sensitive to environmental concerns, and ensure beneficial and timely infrastructure investments.
Equitable Allocation of Costs to All Beneficiaries
WIRES commits to work aggressively toward the equitable, economically justified, practical, and where appropriate, broad allocation of the costs of transmission facilities and operations across the shared transmission network.
