Transmission lines move bulk electricity over long distances between generators, substations, and demand areas; distribution lines carry it through local networks to homes and businesses. Transformers and substations connect the stages by changing voltage. Voltage, line appearance, and capacity can help describe a system, but none alone provides a universal way to classify every line.
How electricity moves from a generator to a customer
A simplified route is generator → step-up substation → high-voltage transmission network → substations and transformers → distribution feeders → customer service. Generators produce electricity at a voltage that is raised before long-distance transmission. Near the places where electricity is used, substations and transformers lower voltage for distribution and customer delivery. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) describes the grid as generation, substations, transformers, and power lines linking producers with consumers in its electricity delivery explainer.
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The two stages are connected, but they serve different purposes. Transmission moves bulk power across longer distances and links regions and demand centers. Distribution delivers power locally through feeders and other equipment to end users. This distinction is about a line’s role in the system, not simply whether it is large or small.
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| Aspect | Transmission | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Moves bulk electricity over long distances and between generation, substations, and demand areas. | Delivers electricity through local networks to homes and businesses. |
| Network scale | Interconnected regional or long-distance system. | Local network, including feeders that serve customers. |
| Voltage | Common U.S. examples include 115, 138, 230, 345, 500, and 765 kV; these are examples, not universal requirements. | FERC describes distribution as typically 35 kV or less in one jurisdictional explainer; actual designation depends on context and utility practice. |
| Common physical form | Often tall structures carrying high-voltage conductors. | Often neighborhood utility poles or underground cables. |
| Transformer role | Step-up transformers raise generator output for transmission; substations connect and manage the network. | Transformers lower voltage for downstream delivery and customer service. |
| Capacity | Depends on the line’s ratings and operating conditions; voltage alone does not establish power-transfer capacity. | Also depends on equipment ratings and operating conditions; appearance or voltage alone does not state capacity. |
| Typical U.S. oversight | FERC generally oversees rates, terms, and conditions for interstate transmission, subject to legal and geographic exceptions. | Generally overseen by state or local authorities. |
What voltage can—and cannot—tell you
Higher voltage makes long-distance transmission more efficient and less expensive, according to the EIA’s delivery-to-consumers explainer. Raising voltage before transmission and lowering it before local distribution is therefore a key part of the system’s design.
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Voltage thresholds are useful conventions, not one universal dividing line. FERC’s transmission NOPR explainer says NERC generally uses 100 kV as the minimum threshold for transmission lines. A separate FERC overview of its role describes transmission facilities as operating at 69 kV and above and distribution typically at 35 kV or less. These descriptions reflect different contexts; utility designations and legal classifications may not follow a single cutoff.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lists 115, 138, 230, 345, 500, and 765 kV as typical transmission-voltage examples. It also gives 34, 46, and 69 kV as examples of sub-transmission voltages. Those figures come from DOE’s 2023 Electricity Transmission: A Primer; they are examples, not a prescriptive or exhaustive national standard.
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Why capacity is not the same as voltage
Voltage describes an electrical level; it does not tell you by itself how much power a particular line can carry. DOE’s 2023 transmission primer distinguishes a voltage rating—the maximum voltage before failure—from power capacity, which concerns the maximum steady-state current or power under given conditions. Capacity may be expressed in amps, megawatts (MW), or megavolt-amperes (MVA).
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A line’s actual capacity depends on its ratings and operating conditions. It cannot be reliably estimated from voltage alone, and two lines at the same voltage need not have the same power-transfer capacity.
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Why transmission lines do not serve one customer by a fixed route
On an interconnected grid, electricity does not generally travel along a dedicated, prespecified path from one generator to one customer. Power flows across available network paths according to system conditions. DOE’s Office of Electricity primer explains that when one path is full, power uses another available route, subject to the network’s conditions. This shared flow is one reason transmission networks connect regions rather than acting as isolated point-to-point wires.
What the distinction means for reliability and outages
Transmission and distribution are different parts of one connected system. A transmission-level problem can affect customer service, while a local distribution failure can interrupt service in a neighborhood—for example, after a tree limb hits a line or a vehicle strikes a utility pole. FERC discusses these differences in its reliability overview.
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Interconnection can provide backup paths when a line or generator fails, reducing the likelihood that a single failure becomes a widespread blackout. EIA also notes that interconnected grids reduce how much extra generating capacity each utility needs to keep available for peak demand in its delivery-to-consumers explainer.
How much electricity is lost in transmission and distribution?
EIA estimates that U.S. transmission and distribution losses averaged about 5% of electricity transmitted and distributed during 2018–2022. This is a combined transmission-and-distribution estimate, not a transmission-only figure. EIA’s FAQ providing the estimate was last updated November 7, 2023; see How much electricity is lost in electricity transmission and distribution in the United States?
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How U.S. oversight differs
FERC generally oversees rates, terms, and conditions for interstate transmission, while state or local authorities generally oversee local distribution. FERC identifies exceptions to interstate jurisdiction, including Alaska, Hawaii, and much of Texas, in its overview of what it does. Oversight is not determined by voltage alone: geography, ownership, function, and legal classification also matter.
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