For the past year, a diverse group of stakeholders have been working together to consider environmental information in transmission planning to support the generation of renewable and other energy resources. This work is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council's (WECC's) Regional Transmission Expansion Planning (RTEP) process and includes a broad representative base: 1. Transmission providers and owners; 2. Technology advocates; 3. Developers of renewable energy and transmission; 4. Tribes; 5. State, provincial, and federal governments and agencies; 6. Consumers; and 7. Non-governmental organizations. The Scenario Planning Steering Group (SPSG) and its Environmental Data Task Force (EDTF) would like to update, engage with, and seek input from those involved in renewable energy and the enabling of transmission. The RTEP process is moving toward the development of 10- and 20-year Interconnection-wide transmission plans that will help shape renewable energy in the West for decades to come. In this effort, stakeholders believe it is critical that RTEP communicate what is happening and receive input and feedback from attendees. Whether the goal is meeting state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or taking advantage of abundant domestic energy sources, bringing commercial scale renewable energy to market can require substantial time. While renewable generation can often be built in 3-5 years, the timeline for developing new, high-voltage transmission to transfer the generated electricity is 7-10 years. It is important to consider environmental information and engage a diverse group of stakeholders early in the planning process (long before siting or permitting). By doing this, the decision-making process for developing renewable energy generation and transmission may be improved and streamlined with greater certainty.
展开▼
