Transmission lines run through the hills of New Hampshire.
Senate Democrats’ climate bill (click here) includes $3 billion in loans and grants for electric transmission projects—money that, in addition to tax incentives for electricity generators, would break down a significant barrier to a large-scale clean energy rollout, advocates said.
The Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376) that senators passed Sunday would authorize the Energy Department to issue $2 billion in loans to support new and upgraded electric transmission lines that are deemed part of national corridors. The department would have $760 million in grants to siting authorities—namely state governments—to aid developers in navigating the review and approval processes. An additional $100 million is dedicated to offshore wind transmission.
Transmission projects have been stalled by regulatory delays, hindering renewable projects waiting to connect their power to the grid.
“It’s great to see really every aspect of transmission siting and permitting being addressed in the IRA,” said Christina Hayes, executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid....
...The bill—which is scheduled for a House vote on Aug. 12—complements efforts underway at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to overhaul regional transmission’s planning and cost allocation process, said Hayes, who worked at FERC from 2007 to 2015 and at the Oregon Public Utility Commission for the four years prior.
The commission is also reassessing how transmission providers connect generators to their systems.
Transmission siting falls to state commissions, though Congress has provided federal officials a “backstop” authority to approve a transmission line even if one state rejects it. That authority hasn’t been used yet.
Senate Democrats’ climate bill (click here) includes $3 billion in loans and grants for electric transmission projects—money that, in addition to tax incentives for electricity generators, would break down a significant barrier to a large-scale clean energy rollout, advocates said.
The Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376) that senators passed Sunday would authorize the Energy Department to issue $2 billion in loans to support new and upgraded electric transmission lines that are deemed part of national corridors. The department would have $760 million in grants to siting authorities—namely state governments—to aid developers in navigating the review and approval processes. An additional $100 million is dedicated to offshore wind transmission.
Transmission projects have been stalled by regulatory delays, hindering renewable projects waiting to connect their power to the grid.
“It’s great to see really every aspect of transmission siting and permitting being addressed in the IRA,” said Christina Hayes, executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid....
...The bill—which is scheduled for a House vote on Aug. 12—complements efforts underway at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to overhaul regional transmission’s planning and cost allocation process, said Hayes, who worked at FERC from 2007 to 2015 and at the Oregon Public Utility Commission for the four years prior.
The commission is also reassessing how transmission providers connect generators to their systems.
Transmission siting falls to state commissions, though Congress has provided federal officials a “backstop” authority to approve a transmission line even if one state rejects it. That authority hasn’t been used yet.
More than 8,100 generation projects totaling 1,400 gigawatts of generation and storage were stuck waiting in interconnection queues throughout the country at the end of 2021, according to FERC....
We have been waiting a very long time for this. It is more than time for a huge paradigm shift. No more delays!
The White House (click here) on Wednesday outlined a plan for solar energy to supply nearly half of the nation’s electricity by 2050. The ambitious outline would see solar rising from 3% of generation in 2020 to 40% by 2035 before ultimately hitting 45% by 2050.
Heavy spending across industries will be required to meet that blueprint. U.S. solar installations hit a record high in 2020, but yearly solar capacity additions will need to double annually through 2025, before quadrupling from 2020′s level each year between 2025 and 2030. Falling costs and supportive policies including tax incentives have boosted solar’s robust growth over the last decade.
The report, issued by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said solar capacity will need to reach 1,600 gigawatts by 2050. This is more than the total electrical consumption from residential and commercial buildings today....
