Combating climate change requires improved power grid

The U.S. power grid as it stands today is a major obstacle in efforts to fight climate change. The elements of the network, which comprises three separate grids (East, West and Texas) and is further divided into 12 transmission regions, share little power between them. This makes it very difficult to build the long-distance power lines needed to transport wind and solar power nationwide.

The climate stakes are high. The billions of dollars approved last year under the Inflation Reduction Act for solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars and other technologies are at risk if the U.S. cannot approve and build new transmission lines at a faster pace. Just to put it in perspective, transmission capacity would need to more than double to reach the goal of 100% clean electricity generation by 2035.

Plans are currently underway to upgrade 100,000 miles of transmission lines over the next five years. This will include deploying grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) such as high-performance conductors and dynamic line ratings that will enable existing transmission lines to carry more power.

The Big Wires Act introduced in 2023 would set a minimum requirement for inter-regional transfer capacity and include GETs among the technical options for meeting the requirement. It would require the sharing of energy from regions with excess capacity to other regions facing energy deficits. This in turn would help get clean energy such as solar and wind power from states where it is produced to states where it is needed. The grid is an important part of our energy system and how we manage it will determine how susceptible we become to weather related events caused by climate change.

Please write your members of Congress at www.house.gov and ask them to support the Big Wires Act (H.R.5551/S.2827).

Joseph Reitmeyer

Mount Prospect