a three-phase alternating current (AC) to move electricity in a to-and-fro fashion, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines, such as Path 27, carry power in only one direction. A direct current (DC) also incurs less loss of energy than AC over the same distance; in other words, DC can sustain power much further than AC, which may require intermediate stations, or "taps," along the route. Another disadvantage for AC is that power tends to flow on the outer layer of the conductor, a phenomenon called the "skin effect." DC eschews this problem; it allows power to penetrate the entire thickness of the conductor for optimal capacity. Finally, DC circuitry has been chosen for Path 27 because the cost of transmitting power over its distance is lower than with AC, which is best economically suited for shorter stretches. HVDC is also cheaper because it utilizes fewer than three conductors, translating to less materials and subsequently allaying the cost of infrastructure and equipment used. ABB Group, a multinational electrical supplier based in Switzerland, manages the framework and supplies for Path 27, and was a chief contributor for the power line's installment. The number in "Path 27" is assigned by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), which oversees the electrical transmission grid across the American West, to distinguish this line from the other critical transmission routes. Path 27 is owned and operated by an inter-municipal cooperative known as the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA), thus lending it the alternative name Intermountain. The IPA's roster includes 29 Utah municipalities—amidst them two suburbs of Salt Lake City, and Logan as the northernmost participant—and six Southern California cities. The cooperative was founded around this mission: Among its objectives is funneling excess energy to communities in Southern California; Path 27 was built to fulfill that purpose. The topmost SoCal client by population on the list is the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the preeminent utility provider for Los Angeles, which also receives the greatest share of power through the plan ahead of Anaheim, Riverside, Pasadena, Burbank, and Glendale (as shown in the table below). Altogether, these members acquire the biggest proportion of energy under the IPA. History The earliest concept of Path 27 likely originated in 1973, coinciding with an energy crisis of that decade plaguing the U.S. During that year, after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned of a forthcoming energy shortage, representatives for the