Portland General Electric (PGE) plans to join the Northern Tier Transmission Group (NTTG), a group of utilities seeking to improve the high-voltage transmission network in seven western states.

NTTG is one of the major regional transmission planning entities working to improve available transmission capacity, plan for grid expansion and collaborate on control area operations.

PGE has joined the NTTG Planning Committee. NTTG has also approved PGE’s application to become a full funding member and will forward a request for approval to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

NTTG member utilities are transmission owners working in conjunction with state governments, customers, and other stakeholders to improve operations and chart the future for the grid linking the service territories of its member utilities. The areas cover all or parts of the transmission systems in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. Pacificorp, Idaho Power, NorthWestern Energy, the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and Deseret Power Electric Cooperative are current utility members.

“Because system reliability is so important to our customers, expanding the transmission infrastructure is a top priority for PGE,” said Joe McArthur, PGE vice president of transmission and customer service. “We believe a collaborative approach is the best way to plan for the future needs of the entire region. We will continue and enhance our coordination with all parties involved in planning the transmission system in the Western United States through our membership in NTTG.”

Formed in 2007, NTTG is led by a steering committee of executives from the member utilities and state agency officials.