October 16, 2001

Power Marketing Administrations' Installation Of Fiber Optics

The Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) were established to transmit and sell electrical power generated by federally owned hydroelectric projects. To accomplish these tasks, three PMAs - Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville), Western Area Power Administration (Western), and Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern) - own and operate transmission lines that cross 22 states. Additionally, the PMAs maintain communication systems to ensure the reliability of their transmission systems. These communication systems perform vital functions such as protective relaying, system monitoring, and scheduling of electricity transmission over the transmission lines. The communication systems are also used for administrative purposes, such as training and timekeeping by the PMA.