ATLANTA – Georgia Power is relying on a new but proven technology to support, stabilize and regulate its transmission voltage levels in Laurens County. The new technology, a Static Var Compensator (SVC) located adjacent to the North Dublin substation, began operating on June 27.

The main reasons for incorporating SVCs in transmission and distributions systems are to improve voltage control and stability, reduce transmission losses and increase transmission capacity, thus delaying the need for new lines.

The Static Var Compensator will serve as a back up for the existing transmission grid in Laurens County, and pushes back the need for a new 32-mile, 230Kv line from Gordon to Dublin from 2006 to 2014.

SVC technology also saves money. The project was completed for $8 million, compared to $22 to $25 million to build a new transmission line in the area.

“The bottom line is that this investment is adding reliability and saving money through the use of technology. Therefore, Georgia Power can continue to provide a low-cost, reliable source of electricity to its customers in middle Georgia,” said Georgia Power SVC project manager Jessie Johnson.

Designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned by Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEPPI), the Dublin SVC is the first of its kind on the Southern Company system. It is also the first to be used by the Integrated Transmission System partners which includes the City of Dalton, Georgia Power, Georgia Transmission Corporation and the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia.

“Although this technology is new for Georgia Power, it has actually been around for many years and will allow us to increase reliability and the quality of power delivered to our customers.”

Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. The company is an investor-owned, tax-paying utility, serving customers in 57,000 of the state’s 59,000 square miles. Georgia Power’s rates are well below the national average, and, its 2 million customers are in all but six of Georgia’s 159 counties.