From transmission lines that carry power out of generation sources straight to the substations and distribution lines that help power customers’ lives – it is a complex operation powering homes and businesses. Several elements contribute to simply lighting a room, and while you see wires along roads or tall towers in corn fields, each has an important role in the safe delivery of reliable and affordable power. 

Think of electricity like mailing a letter. Your goal is for that letter to arrive at its destination from your home. To make that possible, you rely on mail service to take it from the mailbox, process it and deliver to its intended destination. Placing your letter in the mailbox is the first step, and for electricity, generating energy starts the power process. For Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), our current diverse mix of energy includes the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, Michigan; five solar farms; six hydroelectric plants along the St. Joseph River; purchase power agreements from four Indiana wind farms and the Rockport Coal Plant along the Ohio River.

Generated energy is needed so homes and businesses can have lights, air conditioning and other electronics – but first it needs transported. Before it travels, the energy is supercharged to high voltage levels, efficient for transmission over long distances. This energy will travel through means of transmission lines. Different from lines commonly seen in a neighborhood, these wires are normally seen along highways on large towers and can carry large quantities of power over long distances – toward its final destination.

As energy is transported, it remains supercharged. For it to be useable for customers, energy must go through a substation to become suitable for distribution to homes and businesses. Often a fenced-in area tucked back off a road, substations are facilities within the power grid that act as a middle between power generation resources and end-users. The power coming in from transmission lines, is reduced to a lower voltage, and redirected for local distribution.

Distribution lines are the lines you commonly see along the street by your home or grocery store. Using interconnected circuits, these lines support your air conditioner in the summer, lights throughout your home and other electric devices for everyday life. 

See more: What’s on a Power Pole?

Through innovative technology and projects to enhance reliability, I&M can support a stronger, more resilient power grid. One example of this is through the addition of self-healing Distribution Automation Circuit Reconfiguration (DACR) technology, which works to reconfigure circuits when one is damaged. Crews still report to fix the damage, but with DACR, customers are not left in the dark while they work. Additional efforts include infrastructure projects that seek to replace dated equipment and further enhance reliability.

For more information on our reliability improvement plans, visit – www.IndianaMichiganPower.com/PoweringtheNext. You can also access safety tips for you and your family on our website.