Hello, solar enthusiasts! Today, I’m excited to delve into a groundbreaking topic regarding the Western United States’ solar future. A federal study has identified the benefits of twelve Western transmission projects, offering insights into the vast potential to develop solar power on a grand scale. As a result, these benefits set a new standard for the forthcoming National Transmission Planning Study.
The construction of these twelve transmission projects, already in advanced development stages, could stimulate the establishment of a staggering 29 GW of solar, 29 GW of wind, and 14.5 GW of energy storage by 2030. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) made these predictions. Their extensive analysis evaluated various factors including distance criteria to potential points of interconnection, capacity limits of the twelve transmission projects, and transmission congestion and renewable curtailment limits.
Moreover, each solar array for home was combined with storage in their high renewables scenario—an excellent step to evaluate and maximize its potential.
Building these additional renewables and storage projects by 2030 could reduce operational costs in the West by 32%. It’s vital to note, however, that the assessment did not factor in the capital costs for generational and transmission, which would be necessary for a complete economic evaluation.
Interestingly enough, their study also indicated that these high renewable scenarios were resilient enough to withstand selected high-impact contingencies. It suggests that the region’s grid can operate reliably even with a high penetration of renewables—particularly wonderful news for solar companies out there, and for future solar panels for your home.
At a national level, the study offers a fresh comparative baseline for the sequencing of transmission and generation development scenarios for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) forthcoming National Transmission Planning Study, expected to be published by year-end.
The DOE’s previous study suggested that to cost-effectively reach a high level of renewable generation, additional transmission would be needed to connect the wind belt in the central U.S. to eastern grids, an exciting perspective for wind and solar companies alike.
In all, the U.S will need to add 54.5 TW-miles of within-region transmission by 2035 under future scenarios with moderately high clean energy assumptions. This figure represents the most likely power sector future, considering recently enacted laws.
Finally, it’s vital to note that the DOE is now heavily focused on exploring how improving transmission and adding renewable energy can lower the cost of energy generation while reducing carbon emissions nationwide. A significant step, surely, in the right direction!
So, if you’re mulling over installing a solar array for home use or are part of a solar company desiring to grasp how these trends can impact future business—keep these updates in mind. Stay tuned for more illuminating news in the world of solar!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/09/18/completing-western-transmission-lines-would-enable-73-gw-of-renewables-and-storage/
