Oct 23 2008

Transmission: The Missing Link

The American Wind Energy Association's call for more investment in electric transmission, noted in Len Anderson's posting, won a major endorsement today from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), whose mission is to ensure the reliability of the bulk power system in North America.

In its 2008 Long-Term Reliability Assessment, NERC highlights both the extraordinary growth of wind power and the challenges posed by integrating such an intermittent resource into the nation's power system.

Over the next 10 years, NERC predicts, the total capacity of wind farms in North America will soar 750 percent--but this clean, renewable power will only do us good if high-capacity transmission lines connect big cities and other load centers with turbines in West Texas, the Dakotas, and other remote areas.

New transmission is also needed to connect reserve power sources, which can be cranked up when the wind dies down.

Unfortunately, owing to local opposition and environmental concerns, transmission permitting, siting and construction typically takes 7 to 10 years, much longer than for new generation, according to the report.

"We need more transmission resources to maintain reliability and achieve environmental goals," commented Rick Sergel, president and CEO of NERC. "Transmission lines are the critical link between new generation and customers, yet we continue to see transmission development lag behind generation additions. Faster siting, permitting, and construction of transmission resources will be vital to keeping the lights on in the coming years."

Posted by: Jonathan Marshall | Comments (0) digg delicioussend to a friendprint entry

 

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Transmission , Wind

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