New
York Times: Yesterday the US Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission unanimously passed a new rule concerning the
planning and financing of new power lines to help the
nation’s electricity grid meet the demands of renewable
energy and a competitive electricity market, writes Matthew
Wald for the
New York Times. The new rule is intended to encourage
cooperation among the various organizations that manage the
nation’s electrical grid in order to build power lines
across multiple states and electrical jurisdictions. Such
cross-jurisdictional transmission lines are becoming
increasingly important as states seek to integrate large
amounts of wind and solar power, generally available in remote
areas, and transport the power to more populated areas. The
rule addresses planning and cost allocation, two of the main
impediments to new power line construction. Among its general
guidelines is the idea that the costs should be covered by
those who benefit, although critics charge that assessing who
benefits from a new line is difficult.
