They said future grid reliability will be jeopardized by too quickly transitioning U.S. electricity usage from coal and natural gas to green alternatives like wind, solar, hydropower and nuclear.
Two other major regional electricity suppliers — PJM Interconnection, and Tri-State Generation and Transmission — offered similar warnings. Natural gas- and coal-fired power plants generated nearly 60% of America’s energy last year, compared to about 20% from renewables such as wind, solar and hydropower, according to the U.S. Energy Administration. The EIA forecasted last year that renewable generation will more than double by 2050 to 44%.
A more achievable target date is closer to 2050, the transmission companies said, for several reasons: a growing energy demand as the U.S. electrifies more appliances and vehicles; a lengthy permitting approval process for new transmission projects to dispatch clean energy; and a lack of storage technology for renewables.
The transmission companies emphasized the need for overhauling the permitting process to slash bureaucratic red tape that can tie up new energy projects for a decade. Congress has been unable to reach an agreement on broad changes that could fast-track the approval process, which the transmission executives said could allow new gas projects to temporarily replace coal — which is far dirtier — until renewables are rapidly scaled up.