Jiayu Liang
WASHINGTON (April 20, 2022)—The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is expected to release its proposed Transmission Reform Rule at a meeting tomorrow. This proposed rule would address electric transmission constraints and is a key step towards modernizing the grid, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Below is a statement by Mike Jacobs, senior energy analyst at UCS.
“Consumer access to clean energy is limited because new solar and wind installations can’t get access to the grid and current market rules favor fossil fuel electricity providers. I look forward to seeing FERC remove these barriers and streamline the transmission planning process, so that investments can be made more quickly to modernize the grid and deploy more clean energy throughout the United States.
“A modern power grid is not only cleaner and more efficient, but also more resilient in the face of extreme weather and energy security threats. The key to unlocking a modern electric system in the U.S. lies in addressing the transmission constraints that limit our clean energy supply. I am glad that FERC is moving ahead with reforming the transmission planning process and considering an array of necessary policy changes.”
Last fall, UCS submitted comments supporting FERC’s exploration of transmission planning and highlighting the importance of accurate information in the decision-making process. For more information, read these two blog posts by Jacobs about the upcoming rulemaking: