This report was authored by Rob Gramlich and Jay Caspary from Americans for a Clean Energy Grid and published in January 2021. Their analysis highlights the need to update and replace a now 50-year-old electricity transmission infrastructure with a more regionally connected one to better accommodate shifting demand and a changing resource mix. The report calls on FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) to establish guidelines to ensure proactive planning for future needs; require planners to employ the best available data and forecasting methodologies; require planning authorities to consider the diverse benefits of transmission holistically; require planners to evaluate all available solutions, including new physical infrastructure options and grid-enhancing technologies; and direct planners to select a portfolio of solutions that is likely to maximize aggregate net benefits.
Key words: Connected/ EV Vehicles, Construction, Energy Management, Market Sizing, Protocols/Standards, Research & Development, Smart Grid, Utilities, Transportation