The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said this week it would take no action in response to a long-term study of U.S. transmission needs that would help the grid survive extreme weather.
The yearlong study by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said that 35 gigawatts of added high-voltage line capacity located strategically across the U.S. would be “prudent” insurance against massive heat and cold assaults.
“The commission staff makes no recommendation regarding potential statutory changes in response to the Interregional Transfer Capability Study,” FERC concluded.
Regulators noted criticism they received from parts of the power industry that the report was “not an accurate tool” for planning transmission because its data on power demand was out of date, and the study hadn’t compared costs and benefits of building more lines.
