A transmission owner's perspective on the future roles and responsibilities of transmission expansion planning

The Eastern Interconnection is dividing into Regional Transmission Organizations. These new organizations are naming themselves Independent system operators, independent transmission companies, transmission owners, stakeholders, transmission customers and etc. They take the place of the transmission operations and planning segments of integrated electrical utilities. No longer is generation planning function and transmission planning function moving hand-in-hand within a given integrated utility. Now the process has become an open process across the interconnection under the functional control of independent system operators. This paper discusses the state of reorganization and then near and far term perceptions on how grid expansion is to be accomplished. Who will be the stakeholders, the regulators, the customers, the owners? Who will pay for the expansions? How will reliability be assured?.