The US electric grid is often referred to as the greatest machine in the world. But in the aftermath of winter storm Elliott and the rolling power outages its frigid cold inflicted on many Americans, we need to ask ourselves: is this machine a match for these types of extreme weather events blanketing the country with ever increasing frequency and ferocity?
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To live up to its potential, today’s aging grid needs strategic investment and careful stewardship. So that it can become more sustainable and resilient. To remain reliable even as it leans more heavily on weather dependent energy sources. To meet customers’ insatiable demand for the electricity to power their electronics and appliances and increasingly, vehicles and industrial processes. To better withstand extreme weather.
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Several U.S. states announced ambitious offshore wind capacity targets in recent years, along with programs to facilitate the achievement of these goals. The expected resulting addition of offshore wind facilities offers multiple economic and clean energy benefits. The facilities may also introduce operating challenges to the U.S. power grid that demand consideration.
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Building 22 new transmission lines and operating them for the next 50 years could lead to total emissions reductions of about 6.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is roughly equal to the total yearly amount of greenhouse gas emissions for the entire U.S. In other words, building just key transmission projects would enable a massive cut in greenhouse gas emissions. To paraphrase President Biden, that’s a very big deal.
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NREL’s recent report analyses different scenarios of electrification in the US and how it will impact capacity addition and operation of the grid. To meet electricity demand in high-electrification scenarios, installed capacity grows to more than double 2018 levels by 2050. Generation from low-cost renewable energy increases in all the scenarios.
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Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are rich in fossil fuels, while the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan have extensive hydropower. Yet in winter, the hydro-rich countries suffer from power shortages due to a combination of reduced water flow and higher demand for heating. The solution is for these countries to share energy.
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In April, China decided to extend its national EV subsidy program until 2022, though the total amount of subsidies for passenger EVs will gradually be reduced by 10 percent this year, 20 percent in 2021, and 30 percent in 2022.
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