The Sucat–Araneta–Balintawak Transmission Line began construction in 1996 and went into service in 2000. Originally commissioned by the government-ownedNational Power Corporation, it is now operated and maintained by privately-owned National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. It passes through the cities of Muntinlupa, Taguig, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City.
Sucat–Paco
The transmission line starts at Sucat Substation where it parallels Manuel L. Quezon Avenue and Laguna Lake Highway before it turns left. It then passes to Diego Silang Village and parallels with Carlos P. Garcia Avenue. It goes to the left again, passing through Manila American Cemetery and Bonifacio Heights before paralleling to South Luzon Expressway. At SLEX, it crosses to Epifanio delos Santos Avenue through the Magallanes Interchange. It continues on a straight route and after crossing Gil Puyat Avenue are 7 new steel poles that were used for the relocation of poles due to the construction of Skyway Stage 3. It crosses to San Andres Bukid and Paco. The cut-in connection to Meralco Paco substation is located in this district, where the line's Sucat–Paco section ends.
The line continues paralleling Araneta Avenue until it passes to Valentin Ventura Street, Tuktukan Street, and Kaingin Road before it crosses to EDSA. It turns left and after a few meters is the transmission line's terminus which is Balintawak Substation.
Statistics
The line consists of:
214 steel poles
26 lattice towers
1 portal tower located between steel poles 49 and 50
Expansion and improvements
To protect the steel poles from corrosion, several existing poles are being painted with aluminum paint. In 2018, a portal tower located between steel poles 53 and 54 was removed and retired to give way for the increasing number of buildings in Taguig. With the construction of the Skyway Stage 3, several steel poles are being replaced by newer ones specifically those along the Araneta segment.
Health controversy
The Sucat–Araneta–Balintawak Transmission Line, specifically the segment between SLEx in Makati and Bonifacio Heights in Taguig, was criticized by the residents living along the Tamarind Road in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, who claimed the transmission line pose health risks. The said segment is located within 10 meters of Tamarind Road in the said village. The residents, led by Atty. Eduardo F. Hernandez, blamed the electromagnetic fields emanated by the 230-kV power lines for such health issues as cancer, leukemia, and miscarriage. They also took note of no consultation with regards to the construction of the transmission line. Responding to the petition filed by the residents, the Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that the safety issue of the lines was "evidentiary in nature," although they took note of the potential health risks due to EMF radiation exposure with regards to the scientific studies. The Court also added that long-term human safety should be of paramount importance as opposed to the presumption of economic benefits. National Transmission Corporation vice president for operations Carlito Claudio warned in November 2008 that complete retirement of the Sucat–Araneta–Balintawak Transmission Line could trigger "hours-long rotating blackouts, just like during the power crisis in the 1990s," that might adversely impact the country's leading economic hubs of Makati and Ortigas, and added the unfeasibility of building an alternate underground cable line that would cost billion. Former TransCo president Alan Ortiz noted the transmission line as a crucial line, and said claims of electromagnetic radiation associated with high-voltage transmission lines like this "have yet to be 100-percent scientifically established."
