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By Jesse Berst
Speaking at the NARUC summer meeting and quoted in Platt's, she said transmission constraints were to blame. Renewable penetration is set to reach 14% by 2020 (with coal dropping as low as 25%). .
But is that really the only way to meet an RPS standard – to build a centralized wind farm and ship power long distances? We suspect distributed renewables and rooftop solar may be ramped up as a partial alternative... and that will have big implications for distribution utilities.
Or maybe transmission will be up to the task. Data from EEI indicates transmission spending increased from $7.5 billion in 2005 to $10.2 billion in 2010. Spending over the 2011 to 2014 period should increase 43%, according to greentechgrid.
Thoughts? Use the Talk Back comment form below to share them.
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Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com, the industry's oldest and largest smart grid site. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the U.S. and abroad, he also serves on advisory committees for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Institute for Electric Efficiency. He often provides strategic consulting to large corporations and venture-backed startups. He is a member of the advisory boards of GridGlo and Calico Energy Services.
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