IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Composite Technology Corporation (CTC) (OTC Bulletin Board: CPTC - News), a leading developer of high- performance composite core cables for electric transmission and distribution lines, today announced that it has completed the first overhead installation of its proprietary Aluminum Conductor Composite Core (ACCC) innovative, high-performance electrical power cable.

The installation is approximately two miles of ACCC conductor installed at the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) facilities in Haslet, Texas. The installation used CTC's ACCC "Drake" size utility power cable, spanned over five utility support structures, and utilized compression dead ends and splices jointly developed by CTC and FCI/Burndy for installing the cable.

A line crew from Great Southwestern Construction, a member of the MYR Group and a leading supplier of a full range of services within the electrical construction industry, completed the installation with assistance from CTC's technical support personnel. Installation hardware, tools and dies used are conventional industry standard products, with the exception of the compression dead end and splice assemblies that have been specifically designed for use with CTC's ACCC cable. The ability to use conventional equipment and installation methods means customers can now expect to install ACCC cable in similar time periods, and at similar costs, as existing cable with minimal training for their construction personnel.

"Completion of this installation is a vital step in moving forward with our utility customer engagements. It's important to illustrate our cables' ease of installation to customers as we prepare for commercial projects over the coming months," said Benton Wilcoxon, CTC Chairman and CEO. "We are confident ACCC cable will make a significant contribution to the capacity and reliability of the power grid in the United States."

"Great Southwestern has worked closely with CTC on installation procedures for their ACCC cable. This project validated our belief that ACCC cable will be as easy to install as conventional utility cable," said David Ayers, Great Southwestern director -- business development. "Our construction crew used their standard installation methods and equipment, and the CTC hardware was easy to integrate into the work flow."

ACCC cable is superior to existing transmission and distribution cable in a number of key performance areas. Through CTC's advanced, proprietary composite technology, ACCC offers double the current carrying capacity when compared to most standard conductors and can dramatically increase system reliability by virtually eliminating problematic high-temperature cable sag.

"We are excited about working with CTC on their innovative ACCC cable," said Tip Goodwin, EPRIsolution's manager of technology delivery. "EPRI has spent over 30 years helping to find innovative ways of solving the toughest problems facing the energy industry. We will have the opportunity to monitor the cable's mechanical performance over the next two years through changing climatic conditions."

About EPRI

EPRI is a nonprofit organization with over 30 years of proven success in creating technology and environmental solutions for the energy industry and society. Currently serving more than 1000 energy organizations worldwide, EPRI draws on a global network of scientific, technical and business expertise to address critical industry wide issues.

About MYR Group

MYR Group, based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, is a subsidiary of Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. MYR Group subsidiaries provide a complete range of power line and commercial and industrial electrical construction services for electric utilities, telecommunications providers, commercial and industrial facilities, and government agencies in the U.S. MYR Group subsidiaries also offer mechanical construction and maintenance services for steel, industrial and power generation clients.

About CTC

CTC is an Irvine, CA-based company providing high performance advanced composite core conductor cables for electric transmission and distribution lines. The proprietary new ACCC cable transmits two times more power than comparably sized conventional cables in use today. ACCC can solve line sag problems, create energy savings through less line losses, has significantly lower electromagnetic fields, and can easily be retrofitted on existing towers to upgrade energy throughput. ACCC cables allow transmission owners, utility companies, and power producers to easily replace transmission lines without modification to the towers using standard installation techniques and equipment, thereby avoiding the deployment of new towers and establishment of new rights-of-way that are costly, time consuming, controversial and may impact the environment. CTC has established strategic relationships with existing cable manufacturers to rapidly expand production and facilitate deployment to end users worldwide