North American Electric Power Industry data is showing that companies have applied for incentive rates provided under FERC Order 679 to invest $23 billion in electric transmission. This new surge of investment is bringing the total to $36.2 billion of investment for 2008-2016. Analysts cite efficient and reliable transmission as a key to lowering energy costs across the country and FERC Order 679 was designed to encourage investment in transmission which has been heavily underinvested in previous decades prior to its establishment in 2006.