Exelon Corp. (EXC) named a top official for its new national power transmission company Thursday.

John Stough has been named vice president and chief development officer for Exelon Transmission Co. Exelon, the nation's largest owner of nuclear power plants, announced in July it would develop a national transmission line business with particular interest in projects in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Stough comes to Exelon after 28 years at American Electric Power Co. Inc. (AEP), most recently as vice president of Electric Transmission America, a joint venture between American Electric Power and Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.

Interest in building transmission lines is growing among power companies driven by the need to upgrade aging infrastructure and transport power from wind and other renewable generation. Exelon estimates $60 billion to $100 billion will be spent on transmission development projects by 2020.

-By Mark Peters, Dow Jones Newswires; (212) 416-2457; mark.peters@dowjones.com