Re:Renewables supplied 65% of new US utility-scale generatin...
by taylodl on Tuesday May 16, 2023 @03:01PM
(#35966147)
> we don't have enough cross-continent transmission capacity
There's a simple reason for that - it costs roughly $1 million per mile to build new transmission and requires lawyers and real estate people working in multiple jurisdictions. Only the largest of utilities are able to afford this investment and commit the required resources.
Even that's not enough - you still need to solve the so-called Community Energy Storage problem. You need a buffer between the generation and consumption of power so that they can vary from one another. That's even more investment.
There's a simple reason for that - it costs roughly $1 million per mile to build new transmission and requires lawyers and real estate people working in multiple jurisdictions. Only the largest of utilities are able to afford this investment and commit the required resources.
Even that's not enough - you still need to solve the so-called Community Energy Storage problem. You need a buffer between the generation and consumption of power so that they can vary from one another. That's even more investment.