WASHINGTON — A new rule from the Federal Power Regulatory Fee might enhance Virginia’s electrical grid transmission capability.
It requires utilities and grid operators to plan 20 years forward to accommodate anticipated modifications in power manufacturing. The rule is designed to assist Virginia meet the excessive power calls for of the rising information heart market and forestall service disruptions in excessive climate.
Nick Guidi, senior legal professional for the Southern Environmental Legislation Heart, stated the rule will assist the state attain its local weather targets.
“For the primary time in plenty of these states, the transmission planning course of should explicitly have in mind state targets and company clear power targets,” Guidi defined. “That hasn’t actually occurred earlier than.”
He added the present course of holds again state exercise. The rule confronted sharp criticism from FERC Commissioner Mark Christie. He characterizes it as a method to enact insurance policies by no means handed by Congress and calls it “a blatant violation of the main questions doctrine.” Guidi thinks it might result in authorized challenges.
One other new rule makes transmission siting simpler.
Jon Gordon, coverage director for the group Superior Power United, feels the FERC orders create developments in transmission infrastructure growth, calling it an arduous however essential course of to enhance transmission capability.
“I believe as a rustic we’ve kind of gotten behind the 8-ball on upgrading our transmission infrastructure,” Gordon asserted. “Now we’ve reached a degree the place we have to transfer rapidly on transmission upgrades to make sure reliability.”
He added extra complete long-term transmission planning is required to make sure the lowest-cost transmission is constructed for reliability.
Virginia passed legislation making transmission simpler. It comes because the state’s grid operator, PJM Interconnection, which ranked poorly in a report as a result of a backlog of interconnection tasks. The regulation means an extra 40% capability for the present grid and saves the state congestion prices.
