The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Interregional Transfer Capability Study released today quantifies the growing challenge facing policymakers in meeting interregional transmission demand in a timely and affordable manner. Innovative, reliability-enhancing solutions will be essential to meeting future demand, while protecting energy consumers from continued energy price inflation.
"Independent HVDC projects, like Grain Belt Express, are the most actionable solution available to address the interregional transmission gaps NERC quantified in this study. Grain Belt Express by itself is capable of addressing nearly the entire additional transfer capability need NERC identified for SPP, PJM, or MISO," said Shashank Sane, executive vice president and head of transmission at Invenergy. "As a subscriber-pays project, we don't have to wait on federal policymakers to negotiate who pays to enhance the reliability and resilience of the electric grid."
The study projects 35 gigawatts of interregional transmission investment are needed over the next decade. These estimates add to a growing bipartisan consensus over the importance of grid investment as a key factor in fighting energy cost inflation and promoting economic growth.
Grain Belt Express is the largest pending transmission project in the U.S., with a capacity of 5 gigawatts and that will expand interregional transfer capability across SPP, MISO, AECI, and PJM territories.