The Neptune project is a privately-funded, high-voltage, direct current (yes, DC, not AC!) project to connect Manhattan and Long Island with other areas that have larger supplies of generated power. This type of interconnection of markets is a driving force in reducing transaction costs and increasing efficiency in energy markets. The progress of this project is very important as an indicator of the investment value of new, private transmission, and of the fact that just because electricity transmission is network infrastructure, that does not imply that it must be either provided by government or subject to government economic regulation (I am happy to concede the importance of safety standards in electricity transmission). This story, about TXU joining the investment consortium that is funding the Neptune project, illustrates the investment appeal of competitive electricity transmission to reduce bottlenecks. TXU’s development capital will expand the construction to include DC lines connecting Manhattan and New Jersey, which gives Manhattan better access to the liquid and well-supplied PJM (Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland) wholesale electricity market. This is a good thing.