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The Green New Deal would require a redesign of transmission lines fueling wind and solar energy, a major logistical obstacle to the gradual plan to radically reorganize the economy to cope with climate change.
The Green New Deal's plan to increase federal funding for wind and solar energy to 100% renewable or clean electricity will not be enough without attacking transmission lines, which often encounter political opposition at local and non-federal level.
The Green New Deal resolution proposed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., and Senator Ed Markey, D-Mass., Does not explicitly mention transmission lines, although it generally calls for repairs major and the modernization of the national park. Infrastructure.
"Policy makers do not pay enough attention to decision makers," said Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies LLC. "People often want to believe the myth that high renewable energy can be achieved without transmission networks. Unfortunately, it will not work.
Transmission lines are essential for the transmission of electricity from places, usually rural, where wind or solar energy is abundant, to consumers in agglomerations that do not produce significant renewable electricity.
"There are large areas of the country where we have significant wind and solar resources that can not reach the market," said Jeff Dennis, General Manager and Senior Legal Advisor at Advanced Energy Economy.
Brattle Group economists said this month in a report that politicians may over-build the electricity system with excess wind and solar energy if they do not understand the need to expand the transportation network American.
The Brattle Group plans to spend between $ 30 billion and $ 90 billion by 2030 for transportation in order to "profitably" serve the upcoming electrification of the US economy, which means increased use of wind and solar power for electricity and more drivers using electricity – powered transportation. This investment would represent a 20-50% increase in average annual transportation expenditures over the last 10 years.
But the construction of the transmission is difficult. Major long-haul projects require at least 10 years of approval and development, due to a diffuse licensing process that may be delayed due to local opposition from people living near power lines expected – a problem known as non-in-my-backyard-ism, or NIMBYism.
Unlike gas pipelines, which have also been affected by NIMBYism primarily for environmental reasons, the federal government has little authority to approve transmission lines, with the majority of powers delegated to states.
And the places where the power lines should be built do not necessarily benefit from the use or production of electricity, which complicates the obtaining of the building permit.
"Our country has a real challenge in transmitting the site," said Dan Reicher, Assistant Secretary of Energy for the Clinton Administration. "Intermediate states that serve only as the location of the line do not see many benefits, but consider it more of a problem and may prevent it from building."
For example, last year, New Hampshire rejected the Northern Pass transmission line project, which would import Quebec's zero-emission hydroelectric power to New England, even as Massachusetts leaders wanted to use energy. hydroelectric power to achieve the state's clean energy goals.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the transportation of energy, has recently faced the need to build and improve lines to facilitate renewable energy. He plans to launch a review this week of his policies on setting tariffs and incentives for the construction of transmission lines – an initiative promoted by the Trump administration, which has no fan of Green New Deal.
"One of my priorities is to ensure that policies are put in place to ensure the future of the grid, "said FERC President Neil Chatterjee, Republican. Washington Examiner in an interview. "In terms of transmission, we can do a lot of things."
FERC does not, however, have the power to become directly involved in transportation projects, which limits its possibilities.
According to Chatterjee and others, the current FERC process is not working as intended, as it does not constitute an additional incentive for long-distance power lines, which are riskier than smaller and easier-to-build projects .
"It is undeniable that these longer lines are harder to locate and cross the finish line," said Travis Kavulla, director of energy and the R Street Institute. "The reward for this risk should be reflected in the tariffs that FERC allows for long haul lines."
Former FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff, a Democrat, agrees with Kavulla, but said policymakers should encourage investment in advanced transmission technologies that could make the existing system more efficient.
He pointed out that less than half of the capacity of current transmission lines is fully utilized.
Wellinghoff is also excited about the potential of a new underground transmission line planned by two European companies to transport wind and solar power from the Midwest to the East Coast, an untested method more expensive than an airline, but which could avoid backlash. caused by visible power lines.
"The Green New Deal will help elevate the debate on infrastructure on how to make transportation more efficient, smarter and more cost-effective by providing renewable resources to charging centers," said Wellinghoff. "We should do it intelligently and not stupid, and not put in the same old lines and threads."
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