Tulsa a part of new National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor

[patric]

A new rule by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees interstate electricity transmission, is the most significant attempt in years to upgrade and expand the country’s creaking electricity network. Experts have warned that there aren’t nearly enough high-voltage power lines being built today, putting the country at greater risk of blackouts from extreme weather while making it harder to shift to renewable sources of energy and cope with rising electricity demand.

A big reason for the slow pace of grid expansion is that operators rarely plan for the long term, the commission said.
A 2011 attempt by the commission to encourage transmission planning largely faltered, in part because many utilities were opposed to new long-distance lines that might undercut their monopolies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/climate/electric-grid-overhaul-ferc.html


The Federal Power Act authorizes the Secretary of Energy to designate any geographic area as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) if the Secretary finds that consumers are harmed by a lack of transmission in the area and that the development of new transmission would advance important national interests in that area, such as increased reliability and reduced consumer costs.




Based on preliminary findings, transmission development in potential Delta-Plains NIETC could…
Maintain and improve reliability and resilience. Potential electricity shortfalls leave the regions vulnerable during extreme weather.
Alleviate congestion. Congestion in the area prevents cost-effective generation from being delivered to where it is needed, when it is needed.
Meet future generation and demand growth. There is a significant need for additional transfer capacity between the Delta and Plains regions to meet various future power sector scenarios. Analysis finds a 414% increase is needed by 2035 under moderate load and high clean energy growth scenarios.
Increase clean energy integration. Increased access to more diverse, clean energy generation is necessary to lower power sector greenhouse gas emissions.
https://www.energy.gov/gdo/national-interest-electric-transmission-corridor-designation-process