DOE Identifies Country’s Worst Transmission Congestion

DOE's 2009 National Electric Transmission Congestion Study found that transmission congestion is most critical in an area from mid-state New York and south along the Atlantic coastal plain to northern Virginia, and in southern California's urban centers. The study notes that while several efficiency, generation and transmission projects are planned for those areas, many aren't operational. The study also identified two "Congestion Areas of Concern," which include the San Francisco peninsula and the Seattle-Portland region. According to the study, San Francisco hasn't done enough to reduce electricity demand and increase supply. And while numerous fixes are on the way in the Seattle-Portland region, completion of those projects is years away.

Quick Take: We say it a lot, but transmission is one of the weakest links (if not the winkest link) in the grid infrastructure and is a major impediment to tying renewable energy sources into the Smart Grid. While projects are in the pipeline and Smart Grid stimulus money is helping, regulatory and jurisdictional issues remain thorny obstacles to fixing the transmission system.

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Complete National Electric Transmission Congestion Study (pdf)

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