Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved major changes to the planning and construction of long-distance power lines in the United States on May 13, 2024. The new rules aim to address the issue of an overwhelmed electricity grid that is struggling to keep up with growth in solar and wind power. The reforms require grid operators around the country to identify needs for transmission infrastructure 20 years into the future and evaluate the benefits of new transmission lines.
The power grid, which consists of wires and transfer stations, is not keeping pace with growth in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. According to FERC, this issue is causing routine power shortages in some regions and undermining the economy. The network's infrastructure has been described as creaking and in need of upgrades.
The new rules are expected to spur thousands of miles of new high-voltage power lines, making it easier to add more wind and solar energy to the grid. This is crucial as experts have warned that there aren't nearly enough high-voltage power lines being built today, putting the country at greater risk of blackouts from extreme weather while making it harder to shift to renewable sources of energy and cope with rising electricity demand.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversees interstate electricity transmission in the United States. The new rule requires grid operators around the country to identify needs 20 years into the future, taking into account factors like changes in the energy mix, growing numbers of states that require wind and solar power, and risks of extreme weather.
Grid planners must evaluate benefits of new transmission lines such as lower electricity costs or reduced risk of blackouts. They will also develop methods for splitting costs among customers and businesses.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Chairman, Willie Phillips, described the rule as requiring transmission planners to plan looking forward on a 20-year time horizon, consider a broad set of reliability and economic benefits, consider using money-saving grid enhancing technologies where it makes sense, and expand states' pivotal role throughout the planning process.
Republican opponent Mark Christie criticized the rule's consideration of factors like state climate plans, corporate power preferences, and which power sources are already waiting in line. He described it as a sweeping policy agenda that Congress never passed.
