Major U.S. electric utilities spending increased to $40 billion in 2019 from $9.1 billion in 2000, according to federal officials.

transmission spend

U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) show the increased spending resulted from investments in transmission infrastructure, as well as operating and maintaining existing systems.

In 2019, $23.5 billion was spent on new transmission, up 1% over the previous year. According to the EIA, utilities spent $16.6 billion on transmission operation and maintenance in 2019, 7% more than in 2018. 

Most of the new transmission spending in 2019 consisted of investments in station equipment, poles and overhead power lines. Those investments aimed to replace aging infrastructure and improve grid reliability during extreme weather events. The new transmission also...