Can Target Dates for Implementation of Renewable Energy Levels of ZERO Carbon Emissions Be Achieved?

Last week (June 10, 2021), I attended “ScottMadden’s Energy Industry Update: Saved by Zero?”, a good discussion. The panel of ScottMadden employees, provided an Energy Supply and Demand graph, as part of their presentation, pointing out that overall energy demand for Massachusetts must decrease (fossil fuels in particular), and clean renewable energy generation must increase (mostly wind) to fill that demand void. A great goal. The panel noted that a Regional or Inter-Regional Transmission System would be needed to accomplish those goals.

One of the key issues noted by the panel was a lack of transmission system and lines. Back in 2005 while working to bring wind-generated electricity to the grid from Armenia Mountain, near Troy, Pennsylvania, one of the constraints my team faced was a lack of transmission lines, and how to get the energy into the transmission system.

I thought of how the transmission issue we had then has not gone away or been addressed effectively in over 15 years, and likely will not go away before the 2050 date established in the Massachusetts 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap plan. 

The biggest concern for the end-users of electricity on the east coast is energy delivery because of transmission line capacity constraints. 

It is no secret the load centers of electrical demand and use are the large cities on the east coast.

A vocal portion of the population in western and mid-west areas with acreage to construct wind and solar farms, nuclear reactors, or gas-fired facilities, generally seem to be of the mindset, “Why here? Why us? Not in my backyard!” I agree with them. The facility should be built near the end-user. These folks should have a say in what is built in their communities. Those on the east coast often say that those that live in flyover country should just live with it, tolerate it for the good of others. This notion of an idea is not an equitable or compassionate solution.

Transmission congestion and constraint is a concern for all governments and corporations today. Their goal is to become independent of fossil fuels and move to relying on clean renewable energy. Regardless of how you generate the electricity, it matters how it is transported and delivered. In my opinion, these end-users must accept a portion of the inconvenience and allow transmission constraints to be resolved well before the 2050 plan date.

The panel pointed out that many transmission projects are proposed, but an equal number of them have been proposed and canceled over the years. The panel talked of the benefits of Inter-Regional Transmission Development and a national transmission corridor with several scenarios and noted many challenges. 

These efforts are not new. They all seem to return to where to build and how to transmit the energy through areas where the locals will not immediately benefit from it. My thought is that those governments and corporations that desire to achieve goals of ZERO, need to step up with plans that include how to produce in their own backyard or satisfy the line constraint and transmission problem.