Much of the East Coast relies on a congested power system that can’t meet rising demand without significant upgrades. In the past 30 years, the population of this region has risen dramatically and today’s American home uses 21 percent more power than in the mid 1970s.
 
As a result of this increasing demand for power, the existing transmission system in the region will not be able to keep up in the years ahead. Experts like the U.S. Department of Energy have said that building new transmission will help address this problem.
 
The MAPP project is a 230-mile transmission line that would significantly increase the region's ability to import power. Local utilities and electric cooperatives rely on this transmission system to keep the lights on for their customers and early estimates suggest that the entire MAPP line, which crosses four states, could bring enough new power to the region to light up an additional 800,000 to 2 million homes.
 
When you combine this new energy with a stronger focus on energy conservation and development of new clean air power sources like wind, solar and nuclear, the region will be well positioned to meet the energy challenges in its future.
 
MAPP has a target completion date of 2013 and the entire project is expected to cost about $1 billion. A majority of the transmission line (more than 75%) will be built along, or adjacent to, existing transmission towers. It will connect numerous points on the grid that are currently underserved, and it is expected to begin improving transmission in as little as two years after construction begins.