ITC Great Plains, an ITC Holdings Corp. subsidiary, has announced the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has approved its Application for Certificate of Convenience and Authority. The limited certificate gives ITC Great Plains the authority to operate as a utility in the state of Kansas and move forward in its effort to construct, own, operate and maintain bulk electric transmission functions.

"We appreciate the KCC's hard work in evaluating and approving our application to become a transmission-only utility in the state of Kansas," said Carl A. Huslig, president of ITC Great Plains. "There is a recognized need for transmission investment in Kansas to alleviate existing transmission constraints, facilitate energy markets and help further the entrance of wind energy and other renewable resources into the market. We would like to recognize the KCC for being an innovator in authorizing a transmission-only utility for the state of Kansas."

ITC, through its subsidiaries, has invested over $580 million since 2003 toward maintenance and capital system improvements in its existing service territories in Michigan's Lower Peninsula in its mission to improve electric reliability. As an ITC subsidiary, ITC Great Plains can leverage ITC's skills, partnerships and expertise to build the necessary transmission infrastructure in the Great Plains region.

"ITC Great Plains is ready, willing and able to invest in the Kansas electric transmission system. We are committed to Kansas and support Governor Kathleen Sebelius's call for 10 percent of the state's electricity to come from renewable resources by 2010 and 20 percent by 2020, and we believe that transmission infrastructure is an important component to the equation," said Huslig. "The construction of new transmission lines is critical to address existing electric bottlenecks and ensure that Kansas can capitalize on its wind resource capability to make wind energy a reality by allowing it to reach the end-use consumers reliably and efficiently."