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From: ridder@elvira.cxo3.dec.com (Hans Ridder)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: HV DC transmission lines. (Was: cows and high tension wires)
Message-ID: <520@shodha.dec.com>
Date: 7 Dec 89 05:42:02 GMT
References: <1845@neoucom.UUCP> <8902@swlabs.UUCP> <7458@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM>
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In article <7458@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM> marks@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Mark D. Salzman) writes:
>In article <8902@swlabs.UUCP> jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) writes:
>>I was wondering: what ever happened to the use of high voltage DC for
>>power transmission?  I understood that the high voltage inverters
>>needed were technologically feasible, yet I've heard very little of
>>this since.
>
>HV DC transmission systems do exist. We have one here in Oregon to send
>power from our Columbia River power grid to southern California. It runs
>at about 1MV DC if memory serves me well.
>

The line mentioned here is called the Pacific Intertie.  It was
covered in an article in the 1988 25th Anniversary issue of IEEE
Spectrum.  The article says the line runs at +-500 KV DC (1 MV as
mentioned above), delivering 3100 MW of power by mid-'89.  It also
mentions another DC line delivering 1600 MW from Delta, Utah to Los
Angeles.  They've got this grounding electrode in Santa Monica Bay....
Interesting article....

-hans

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  Hans-Gabriel Ridder			Digital Equipment Corporation
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