HVDC

High-voltage direct current (HVDC) is an electric transmission technology that uses

direct current instead of the more widely used alternating current (AC) system.
HVDC technology is often used to interconnect two AC systems that are not
synchronized (not operating at the same frequency and in phase), to cross large
bodies of water or to move large amounts of power over very long distances.

Transmission lines deliver electricity either as alternating current or direct current. Alternating current gets its
name because it changes direction 60 times a second. Direct current does not change direction; it flows
constantly in one direction.

HVDC enables the amount and direction of power flow to be controlled. These control characteristics can be
used to improve the stability of the power system, since the power transfer across an HVDC line can be
controlled as needed to damp power swings on the AC network.

Because AC is easier to convert to the voltage levels needed for homes and businesses, AC is most
commonly used for electricity transmission and distribution. There are about 100 transmission projects around
the world using HVDC. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there are several thousand miles of
HVDC in operation in North America.

HVDC systems employ semiconductor devices to control and convert power. The traditional HVDC approach,
often referred to as HVDC Classic, employs devices called thyristors. More recent variations, including
HVDC Light, employ newer devices that extend the application of HVDC to power ranges below 250
megawatts.

In some situations, HVDC systems may have advantages over AC transmission in terms of cost and power
losses. The need for converter stations at each end of a line to transform power from AC to DC (rectification)
and DC to AC (inversion) adds significant costs; the HVDC converter stations also contribute to the overall
losses on the transmission system.

Primarily because of these factors, the use of the technology generally has been limited to projects that
transfer power over very long distances and to underwater applications, in which DC cables are not prone to
the rise in voltage that occurs with AC cable systems.

There are several HVDC projects in PJM. A HVDC merchant transmission interconnection between PJM and
the New York ISO territory went into service in 2008. Additional HVDC merchant projects are active in PJM’s
interconnection queues.

A proposed baseline bulk transmission project in the PJM region, the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP), is
planning to use HVDC technology for a portion of its length, including a crossing of the Chesapeake Bay.

955 Jefferson Ave.

Norristown, PA 19403
866.400.8980
PJM © 2011 www.pjm.com 610.666.8980
MAPP, which was included in PJM’s Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) in 2007, will run from the
Possum Point Station in Virginia through the Delmarva Peninsula to the Indian River Station in Delaware. It
currently is scheduled to be in service in 2015.

An evaluation of the HVDC option for MAPP indicated that it would resolve thermal and reactive-power issues
identified through the RTEP and could improve system stability, enhance reliability and at the same time
reduce the impact on the Chesapeake Bay compared with the AC alternatives.

4/7/11

955 Jefferson Ave.

Norristown, PA 19403
866.400.8980
PJM © 2011 www.pjm.com 610.666.8980