in a move that could create thousands of miles of high-voltage power lines that supporters believe can bolster its resilience and make room for new renewable energy projects to go online.on Monday to institute two new rules in hopes of making regional transmission projects to be approved. One of the rules will require companies creating and transmitting energy to factor and identify energy needs 20 years into the future into projects.
The troubles with expanding the number of lines comes on who will bear the costs of additions. Under the existing framework, developers of new projects are required to pay for the necessary grid upgrades to bring it online, a process that is slow and can prevent new energy projects from being profitable enough for companies to pursue.
Guidelines included in the rules ask utilities and grid operators to work with states to create a formula that distributes costs to customers based on what the potential benefits of the new lines are. Christie argued those guidelines don’t go far enough, but was met with arguments from his Democratic counterparts that giving states veto power would lead to inaction on expanding the grid.