Macro Grid Initiative

Plans for new high-voltage transmission lines offer a "bright spot" amid the North American Electric Reliability Corp.'s Long-Term Reliability Assessment, according to Mark Olson, NERC's manager of reliability assessments. "This year's cumulative level of 28,275 miles of transmission in various stages of development for the next 10 years is substantially higher" than the prior average 10-year projection of 18,675 miles of the past five years of reports, he said. However, construction of these lines must ramp up. It's time to build the regional and interregional lines critical to ensuring affordable, reliable electricity! Former FERC Chair Rich Glick noted that the best insurance policy is a diversity of power sources and a grid big enough to allow neighboring regions to export power to a weather-stricken region. Read more ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eA8-ahS9

DOE has initiated Phase 3 of its National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) designation process, identifying three potential NIETCs: the Tribal Energy Access Corridor, the Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, and the Lake Erie-Canada Corridor. These potential NIETCs are significantly narrowed from a larger list of 10 potential corridors that DOE published earlier this year. The Tribal Energy Access Corridor includes portions of the previous Northern Plains NIETC and focuses on central sections in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, connecting several reservations to enable Tribal energy development.  The Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor incorporates portions of the previous Mountain-Plains-Southwest and Plains-Southwest NIETCs, consisting of areas of Colorado, New Mexico, and the Oklahoma panhandle. This NIETC focuses on the seam between the Eastern and Western Interconnections to support increased interregional transfer capacity. The Lake Erie-Canada Corridor includes portions of the previous Mid-Atlantic-Canada NIETC, focusing on Lake Erie and northern Pennsylvania, which can support cross-border connections between Canada and PJM. As part of Phase 3, DOE will conduct community engagement and begin required NEPA reviews. Designation of a NIETC unlocks federal financing tools such as the Transmission Facility Financing (TFF) program and allows FERC to use enhanced siting authority for projects located within that area. 

We're live! Join the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and Midwest grid experts as they discuss today's MISO Board approval of a record-setting portfolio of regional transmission projects. Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/e5gUeUr8

Let's talk about "all the above" transmission solutions: advanced transmission technologies (GETs and HPCs), regional projects, and interregional lines. We need them all to tackle near-term and longer-term challenges. "Building the grid of the future will require every technology at our disposal. It’s critical that grid operators and state regulators consider and implement all transmission technology tools when planning and building a system that will enhance national security, facilitate regional economic development, and withstand new and growing reliability threats for generations to come." Great op-ed from Carrie Zalewski, former Chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission and current vice president of markets and transmission at the American Clean Power Association (ACP); and Brent Bailey, former Mississippi Public Service Commissioner and current vice president of operations at Efficient Power & Light. Check it out ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eBtTj6-8.

🚨 MISO BOARD VOTE TOMORROW 🚨 Join the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and Midwest grid experts from MISO, Clean Grid Alliance, ITC Holdings Corp., and Google for a webinar immediately following the vote to discuss the importance of the 24 high-voltage transmission lines. The proposed regional projects would deliver at least $23.1 BILLION in net benefits over 20 years! Register to join us tomorrow from 2-3 p.m. ET ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/e5gUeUr8

In joint comments, RENEW Northeast, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), and American Clean Power Association (ACP) said the New England States Committee on Electricity’s proposed transmission solicitation for transmission solutions in Maine and New Hampshire should be structured to encourage competition and be open to a range of technologies, "including the use of grid-enhancing technologies and high-performance conductors, as well as storage that performs a transmission function." Because the RFP will not allow partial solutions to the identified needs, "NESCOE should carefully consider the minimum requirements it identifies," and "allowing for a comprehensive solution to be comprised of discrete segments or sections could provide additional flexibility for meeting transmission needs." Read more via RTO Insider LLC ➡️ https://lnkd.in/evsy-zhu

#ICYMI: On December 2, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) partnered with ESIG (Energy Systems Integration Group) and RENEW Northeast to host a full-day workshop on the market and operational benefits of high-voltage direct current #transmission in Massachusetts ⚡ We had attendees from state agencies, transmission developers, utilities, NYISO, and ISO New England Inc., and insightful presentations from experts with Hitachi Energy, Siemens Energy, GE Vernova, DNV, Prysmian, EPRI, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Thank you to the hundreds of people who joined us in person and virtually for this event!

Huge demand growth coming! Luckily, we have several short-term grid solutions to help meet this growth: ⚡ Deploy Grid Enhancing Technologies ⚡ Reconductor existing lines ⚡ Optimize interregional interties Using the existing system more efficiently while simultaneously building regional and interregional transmission lines is key to meeting these challenges.

⚡️ The Midwest could smash the national transmission expansion record with its board vote. ⚡️ On Dec. 12, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)'s Board of Directors will vote on 24 proposed high-voltage transmission lines projected to deliver at least $23.1 billion in net benefits over the first 20 years in service. Join the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) just after the vote as Midwest grid experts unpack the board's decision, discuss the benefits of the record-breaking portfolio, and offer key takeaways other regions should consider as they seek to comply with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's regional transmission planning and cost allocation rule, Order 1920. All-star panel: ☑️ Beth Soholt, Clean Grid Alliance ☑️ Jeremiah Doner, MISO ☑️ Brian C. Drumm, ITC Holdings Corp. ☑️ Tyler Huebner, Google ☑️ Kevin O'Rourke, ACORE Register ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e5gUeUr8

Food for thought from SAFE on the importance of transmission expansion to national security: "Today, grid policy, planning, and operations fail to account for the power needs of the nation’s defense infrastructure, and the fragmented nature of the power grid has led to the evolution of a system that does not properly account for the needs of the nation overall." Note: 12 out of the 15 military bases in Texas lost power during Winter Storm Uri — increased interregional transmission ties could have helped supply life-saving, mission-critical electricity. Full report here ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/gT-x_tXf