NOVI, Mich., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ITC Holdings Corp. (ITC), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Power Products) announced today that they are expanding their existing business alliance to develop and produce extra high voltage 765 kilovolt (kV) circuit breakers and 765 kV power transformers.

The companies will concentrate on improving product development lead times, efficiency, technical design, material standardization and life cycle costs. Their efforts will help address a number of transmission industry challenges including the availability and supply of extra high voltage power transformers in North America.

Mitsubishi Electric will produce 765 kV transformers for use in ITC's Green Power Express project, a 3,000-mile long network of transmission lines that will move renewable energy from remote areas in the Upper Midwest to major Midwest and East Coast population centers.

In addition, ITC and Mitsubishi Electric Power Products have agreed to work jointly on development of a 765 kV circuit breaker that will go into production by 2011 at Mitsubishi Electric Power Products' Warrendale, Pa., manufacturing facility.

"ITC has had a successful relationship with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Power Products for over five years and is pleased with this opportunity to extend the partnership as ITC continues to grow," said ITC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Jon E. Jipping. "This alliance will enable us to advance development of the Green Power Express by ensuring access to high-quality, highly reliable 765 kV equipment while providing Mitsubishi Electric Corporation with impetus to manufacture some of this equipment in the United States.

"We believe this is a terrific win for ITC, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products and the nation as a whole," Jipping added.

"Mitsubishi Electric Power Products and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have experienced a successful relationship with ITC over the past five years supplying many sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 ) power circuit breakers and gas insulated substations (GIS). We are excited to extend this relationship to power transformers," said Mitsubishi Electric Power Products President and Chief Operating Officer, Brian Heery.