How to stop America’s outdated grid holding back the deployment of clean energy

There’s no transition without transmission, they say. It’s a cliché because it’s true. The US Department of Energy says that the nation will need to expand transmission capacity by 60% by 2030 to meet growing clean energy demand. A recent study found that delays in transmission development are adding US$2.5 billion annually in additional costs to consumers due to the inefficiencies of the current grid. So why is building transmission lines in the U.S. so hard?

To find out, host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers-Jaffe of NYU are joined by Christina Hayes, Executive Director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid. Her organisation, which is backed by clean energy and tech companies and environmental groups, works to “expand, integrate, and modernise the North American high-voltage grid.”

Christina explains some of the complexities of building new transmission lines in the US, taking us through the regulatory, local, and state barriers that slow down the development of new capacity that is essential for the growth of renewable energy.

The Manchin-Barrasso Bill, legislation proposed in the Senate to expedite the construction of new energy infrastructure in the US, has been generating some heated debate. Could the proposals be a game-changer for infrastructure development that will accelerate deployment of clean energy and help cut emissions? Or do they give too much to fossil fuel interests relatives to the potential gains for renewables? The gang debate the pros and cons of the bill, and how much impact federal legislation can have when so many barriers exist at the local level.

They also discuss some of the other key issues for the grid. FERC Order 1920 was issued in May: what is it, and why is it so significant for transmission planning? And advanced transmission technologies: how can innovations such as reconductoring and grid-enhancing technologies make the grid stronger and more flexible, and what obstacles are in the way of these investments? 

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