To aid the green energy transition, we need to modernize our grid infrastructure

The Hill ^ | 05/12/2024 | SEN. PETER WELCH (D-VT.)

[ChicagoConservative27]

While it’s true that some things get better with age, the United States’ aging transmission infrastructure is not one of them. Updated transmission infrastructure is crucial to reducing emissions and ensuring dependable electricity service. Congress has passed green energy laws to help make this update happen, but now it’s up to a little-known government commission to fully realize the benefits of our transformational climate laws. And they need to act before it’s too late.

It would be an understatement to say our country’s existing transmission infrastructure—the energy cables, towers and transformers that move energy between a generation system and the final distribution and use—is behind the times. Mostly built in the 1950s and ’60s, most of America’s transmission infrastructure has reached or outlived its useful life and is in dire need of upgrades.

[gibsonguy]

“but now it’s up to a little-known government commission to fully realize the benefits of our transformational climate laws. “

“Benefits” that will inflict misery and discomfort on everyone except the ruling class

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"...most of America’s transmission infrastructure has reached or outlived its useful life and is in dire need of upgrades" -- Senator Peter Welch (D-VT)

I always turn to brain-dead Democrat senators for energy expertise, especially when it's in a highly technical article written by the brain-dead writers at The Hill.

It's a constant trope of Democrats -- "our infrastructure is falling apart" and the solution is ALWAYS more federal spending.

The big problem is the move away from highly-concentrated central power stations (coal and gas) to highly-diffused, low-output distributed generation (wind and solar). Lots of money has to be spent to collect that power from those systems dispersed all across the country side.

The Senator should be more worried about "where is the power going to come from to convert everything with electricity?"

The far bigger question is "WHY are we rushing headlong to solar and wind?" To reduce the earth's temperature 0.2 degrees in 2124? It is utter insanity to destroy the worlds most economical and most reliable energy system for that hoax (as well as destroy what's left of our industrial base).

[ronnie raygun]

scam plain and simple scam

[Libloather]

And they need to act before it’s too late.

Too late for what?

[heavy metal]

i live in hurricane alley... i have learned to live without electricity and have equipped myself to survive... i stepped back in time and realized oil lamps and tiki torches are the future in certain circumstances...

[Paladin2]

Watermelons grow large in Vermont?

[Paladin2]

I suspect his claim that most of the current grid was built in the 50s and 60s is False[Fake].

[technically right]

Back some 40 years ago when I started in the business the industry operated on a vertically integrated business model. Each regional electric utility had responsibility for all aspects of providing service to customers; Generation, Transmission and local distribution. All planning for future load growth was the sole responsibility of the utility. Woe betide the company that had service or reliability issues due to poor planning. You’d get your ass hauled up before the state regulatory commission to explain why. And your chances of getting what you asked for in your next rate case diminished considerably.

I never think that was a bad business model and I think it could work again. Yep

[Paladin2]

We need nuke plants.

Coal rapes da Erf. [But makes money for Buffet.]

Save the NG for me to heat my house and as a feedstock for Better Living through Chemistry.

[bigbob]

Regardless of “green”. Much electrical infrastructure was built-out after WWII with a design life target of 50 years.

[Reeses]

And they need to act before it’s too late.

There's the plea for urgency. That should set off everyone's scam detector. Sadly, 25% of the population falls for it every time. You can fool some of the people all of the time.

[hinckley buzzard]

I doubt this twerp has the faintest idea of how much money it would take to rebuild the entire grid, needing probably triple the capacity it has now.

[catnipman]

“To aid the green energy transition, we need to modernize our grid infrastructure”

also gotta massively increase generation capacity too so that modernized grid infrastructure has some juice to carry ...