BIG MONEY TO WIRES

DOE Announces $60 Million to Support Transmission Planning
December 23, 2009 (Clean Edge)

"Energy Secretary Steven Chu…announced award selections for $60 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support transmission planning for the country's three interconnection transmission networks. The 6 awards will promote collaborative long-term analysis and planning for the Eastern, Western and Texas electricity interconnections, which will help states, utilities, grid operators, and others prepare for future growth in energy demand, renewable energy sources, and Smart Grid technologies. This represents the first-ever effort to take a collaborative, comprehensive look across each of the three transmission interconnections.

"Secretary Chu also announced that he has joined with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Jon Wellinghoff to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the agencies to coordinate efforts related to interconnection-level electric transmission planning. DOE will lead electricity-related research and development activities, including research and demonstrations for hardware and software technologies that help operate the country’s transmission networks. FERC will continue to oversee electricity reliability standards nationally and will enforce regulations to ensure that all transmission planning happens in an open, transparent and non- discriminatory manner."

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"The transmission infrastructure in the continental United States is separated into three distinct electrical networks, or "interconnections"– the Eastern, Western, and Texas interconnections…Portions of the Eastern and Western interconnections also extend into Canada and Mexico. Within each interconnection, the addition of new electricity supply sources and the development of transmission needed to deliver electricity to consumers requires careful coordination to maintain the grid’s reliability while limiting costs and environmental impacts.

"…As a result of [the announced] planning efforts, each of the awardees will produce long-term resource and transmission planning studies in 2011, with updated documents in 2013. The knowledge and perspective gained from this work will inform policy and regulatory decisions in the years to come and provide critical information to electricity industry planners, states and others to develop a modernized, low-carbon electricity system."

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"The awards…are divided into two topic areas – funding for transmission planners and funding for state agencies…[T]he first topic area will fund transmission planners' work with stakeholder organizations within an interconnection to project options for alternative electricity supplies and the associated transmission requirements. The second…will go to state agencies or groups of agencies to develop coordinated interconnection priorities and planning processes.

"The following organizations have been selected…Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative - $16 million…Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council - $14 million…Western Electricity Coordinating Council - $14.5 million…Western Governors’ Association - $12 million …Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) - $2.5 million…Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) for work with Texas government agencies - $1 million"