DOE seeking public comment on study on future capacity constraints, concerns

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) released a draft of a study on the anticipated future capacity constraints and congestion on the nation’s electric transmission grid.

The DOE is seeking public comment and input on the National Transmission Needs Study to provide insight into areas of the power grid that would benefit from increased transmission capacity.

“The power grid is the backbone of the nation’s electricity system, and America’s energy needs have substantially shifted in order to support a modern economy,” GDO Director Maria Robinson said. “Today’s grid faces many challenges, including rising costs for American homes and businesses, widespread integration of new clean energy sources and growing transportation and building electrification, and remaining resilient in the face of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change. The Needs Study will help identify how and where the reliability and resilience of the grid can be improved, while also ensuring DOE deploys investments to effectively provide clean, affordable, and reliable electricity to everyone, everywhere, and when they need it most.”

The DOE released a draft of the study to States, Tribes, and regional grid entities back in October to ensure regional, interregional, and national perspectives are taken into consideration. It received almost 180 comments from 20 different entities, and that feedback was incorporated into the second draft.

There are three key findings from the study.

One, it said there is a pressing need for additional electric transmission infrastructure. Given additional investments, nearly all regions in the United States will benefit from improved reliability and resilience. Regions with high electricity costs – including the Plains, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, New York, and California — will also benefit from the transmission that delivers cost-effective generation.

Two, it points out that increasing interregional transmission results in the largest benefits. Historically, the largest benefit in new interregional transfer capacity additions is across the interconnection seams – between the Mountain and Plains regions and between Texas and all its neighbors. Large interregional transmission benefit is also found between the Plains and its two eastern neighbors, the Midwest and Delta regions.

The third key finding is that needs will shift over time. The future power grid must accommodate the clean energy transformation, evolving regional demand, and increasingly extreme weather events. Significant transmission deployment is needed as soon as 2030 in the Plains, Midwest, and Texas regions. Further, by 2040, large deployments will be needed in the Mountain, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions. In addition, there is a significant need for new interregional transmission between nearly all regions by 2040.

Public comments and questions about the draft study can be emailed to NeedsStudy.Comments@hq.doe.gov. Comments are due 45 days from publication of the notification in the Federal Register. A webinar will be held on March 3 at 1:30 p.m. EST. Contact DOE to register.