June 23, 2010
Notions of green energy are breezing their way throughout the country. But incorporating those ideas into practice is still encountering plenty of obstacles. If the nation is to reach a goal of supplying 20 percent of its power from wind by 2024, then it must begin constructing the necessary infrastructure.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is saying that such a lofty goal is technically feasible but that it cannot happen unless there is an expansion of the transmission system. Otherwise, wind's growth would be stunted and the nation's dependence on fossil fuels would increase.
It will cost billions, the agency acknowledges, noting that the turbines can be placed offshore along the eastern shoreline or in the prairies of the Midwestern states. But the result would mean less air pollution and fewer carbon emissions. "We can bring more wind power online, but if we don't have the proper infrastructure to move that power around, it's like buying a hybrid car and leaving it in the garage," says David Corbus, project manager for the lab's study.
NREL says that would cost $90 billion to empower the eastern region -- money that would help build 225,000 megawatts of wind generation as well as 22,000 miles of transmission lines. It says that the western U.S. could get 30 percent of its power from wind. In all cases, operational costs would drop over time because the wind is free.
The federal stimulus plan enacted shortly after Obama took office is supplying hundreds of billions to the effort. That's money that the administration says will not only help rebuild the American economy but also help redefine how the country consumes energy. Once private investors see that transmission is getting built and that their investments would not be tied up in endless regulatory and legal proceedings, the thinking is that they would assume the leadership role.
Consider: The U.S. Interior Department has recently given the final thumbs up to the Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. While controversial, the decision goes a long way to show the president's commitment to advancing green energy. Moreover, in 2009 during the worst downturn in decades, wind installations grew by 39 percent, says the American Wind Energy Association.
"This study is further validation of what we've been saying -- that obtaining 20 percent or more of America's electricity from wind is an achievable and desirable goal for our economy, environment, and energy security," says Denise Bode, CEO of the wind association. "Now the only question is whether Congress and the administration will step up and enact the policies -- particularly a strong Renewable Electricity Standard and robust transmission legislation -- that will allow us to get there."
Incorporating Traffic
Beyond winning investment and streamlining the permitting process, expanding the nation's transmission network to accommodate more wind has other obstacles: It is an intermittent resource that must have back up generation. In other words, when the wind is not blowing utilities must have a "spinning reserve" ready to go.
That makes reserving a spot for wind on the transmission system problematic. But Portland General Electric, which has a 15 percent renewable energy standard that is to be met by 2015, says it can be done. It is in the process of setting up a system to dynamically schedule such sustainable resources before they would be interconnected with the grid. It is expected to go live later this year.
It will allow for flexibility, says Ty Bettis, project manager for the company's renewable integration unit, who spoke at an Intelligent Utility Reality Webcast on the subject. The transmission can be reserved and scheduled for use within an hour.
Longer term, some companies are working on storage technologies -- devices that could preserve the wind before converting it to electricity. Bob Kraft, chief executive of Energy Storage & Power, said at the Intelligent Utility Reality Webcast that an array of technologies exists to allow this. But if they are to be cost effective, he says that either natural gas prices must be high or that the storage devices must offer other services.
"No one wants to be first," says Kraft. "We want to show the whole system works and can achieve efficiencies."
The emphasis is no doubt on expanding the bulk power system. The areas of most concern are California, the Midwest, New England, the Rocky Mountain States and the Southwest. The matter is exacerbated because of the continued dependence on natural gas in the Northeast and in Southern California. Unless those gas-reliant regions diversify their fuel sources and add generation, their difficulties are only going to deepen.
National laws now on the books have encouraged development. The total number of transmission miles is projected to rise by 8.8 percent, or 14,500 circuit miles in the United States over the next decade, says the North American Electric Reliability Corp. But those same experts say that will still not be enough as each peak season puts increasing strains on the system, especially in those areas already congested.
"We need to build a large enough highway to incorporate all the traffic," says Bettis, with Portland General Electric. "You start that by laying out the groundwork for a four or six lane highway -- not with a dirt road or roadblocks."
Expanding the transmission system may be a national concern but differences exist as to what fuel sources should get top priority. That makes it difficult to raise capital or get permission to build. If the goal is to secure wind and other renewables a permanent place on the grid, however, then the parties must work harder to overcome those issues.
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