the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) took a historic step on Monday by approving a set of new regulations designed to Modernizing and expanding the electrical network The country, which may lead to a significant boost to the economy Wind force And Solar.
The decision, which could facilitate the construction of thousands of kilometers of new high-voltage lines, seeks to address growing concerns about the current capacity of the network to meet future electricity demand and adapt it to renewable energy sources, according to what the agency confirmed. Reuters.
Represents the changes that have been implemented Major changes to the planning and financing of US power grids In more than a decade, which indicates an effort on the part of FERC for “Long-term planning for the national electricity grid“, lively arrived Willie PhillipsQuoted by the Chairman of the Committee New York times.
This new approach Require network operators to identify needs 20 years in advanceincluding factors such as changes in the energy mix, and the increasing number of situations that require it Wind and solar energyand risks associated with extreme weather.
According to him times,The guidelines call on network planners to evaluate the ,potential benefits of new transmission lines, e.g Reducing electricity costs Or reduce the risks of power outages, and develop methods to divide the costs of these lines between consumers and companies.
These efforts to modernize the power grid come at a critical time, as “our aging power grid is being tested in ways never before seen,” according to Phillips. The vote to approve the rule ended 2-1, with the lone Republican commissioner, Mark Christie, dissenting, who argued that the rule would allow states with renewable energy ambitions to unfairly pass on the costs of necessary improvements to their neighboring states.
This decision also aims to meet the country’s increasing demand for construction projects. Wind, solar and battery powerThere are more than 11 thousand proposals, many of which are suspended due to the current network’s inability to accommodate them.
In a context where individual developers are currently required to pay for the network improvements needed for their projects, this new rule proposes a more collective and planned approach, distributing costs across a wider range of energy providers and users.
Background like consent by Independent System Operator in the Midwest (Miso) $10.3 billion worth of new power lines shows that it is possible Achieve up to $69 billion in total profits From these investments, even those countries that do not have specific renewable energy policies but will share in the proceeds will benefit from these investments.
However, effective implementation of this rule depends on how grid operators implement it, and there is some uncertainty about its impact in areas where large utilities may resist developing new transmission lines.
Additionally, while the regulation covers network planning within the country’s 12 major regions, it does not include transportation planning to connect these different regions together, which some experts say represents a greater need.
In a related but separate proceeding, the FERC It also identified some situations in which it could override state objections to a subset of new power lines, in an effort Streamline the federal licensing process For some large transportation lines.
Despite these efforts, completing new long-distance transmission lines still faces significant logistical and political challenges, including the time it takes to locate the project across multiple jurisdictions and obtain permits from a variety of federal and state agencies.
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