By David Wojick
I’m a fats research titled “The Profit and Urgency of Deliberate Offshore Transmission: Decreasing the Prices of and Limitations to Reaching U.S. Clear Vitality Objectives”. The time period FERC happens a whopping 92 occasions. See https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Brattle-OSW-Transmission-Report_Jan-24-2023.pdf
Not surprisingly the 103 web page report is mistitled. It’s truly concerning the onshore transmission of offshore wind energy, not offshore transmission. The urgency is that the current energy system can not deal with all that offshore juice coming ashore. FERC is within the crosshairs as a result of they’re answerable for the grid. Technically it’s the impartial system operators or ISOs, that are additionally repeatedly talked about, however they reply to FERC.
This research is welcome in its manner as a result of it acknowledges a deep downside that isn’t a lot mentioned. The current energy system shouldn’t be set as much as deal with enormous new incoming flows at locations that occur to be handy to offshore wind. As it’s it can’t be completed.
In truth the time period “grid” is one thing of a misnomer. It means that energy can transfer about freely in giant quantities, which is fake. The correct time period is the “Japanese Interconnection” and that a lot is true. Each main utility is related to its neighbors, however the quantity of allowable energy circulate is kind of restricted. It’s sometimes lower than 20% of peak want.
A bit of historical past is beneficial right here. Within the olde days — 1870-1970 — just about each utility was accountable for producing its personal energy. Then within the Seventies we constructed an enormous fleet of giant coal fired energy crops that have been (1) close to the coal, not the cities, and (2) collectively owned. This led to a whole lot of interconnection, adopted by the rise of a comparatively restricted wholesale energy market.
Now we’re speaking about constructing an enormous fleet of offshore turbines. In line with the research there are round 52,000 MW of producing capability already within the US mission “pipeline” with much more to come back. The widespread information reference to the Biden objective of 30,000 MW is severely understated. It’s a stampede.
On condition that 600 MW is an effective sized energy plant it is a hell of a whole lot of juice. The present transmission system was not designed to deal with this huge energy circulate, coming from a brand new path, so it gained’t. Therefore the “urgency” referenced within the title of the report.
52,000 MW is one thing like $200 billion in new producing capability, none of which is required, so any person’s energy payments are going manner up. One of many pressing issues they need FERC to do is unfold the price round. No shock there.
The rationale FERC is referred to 92 occasions is that they need the electrical energy system rebuilt, bodily and contractually, to deal with this stampede of latest, unneeded, intermittent era. What’s amusing is that FERC has a rule making ongoing on constraining renewables, as a result of they screw up the grid. See my https://www.cfact.org/2022/12/27/ferc-considers-constraining-renewables/
What appears to have triggered this research is a report from the New England ISO saying they should improve or rebuild 4,500 miles of transmission traces in an effort to deal with this new flood of offshore juice. New England may be very small as ISOs go.
To my data not one of the ISO’s within the offshore wind crosshairs have authorized the hookup of any of this wild wind juice. They and FERC nonetheless have to come back to phrases with the stampede. I’m wondering if the individuals investing tons of of billions of {dollars} even know this. As issues stand they won’t be allowed to hook into the grid.
Of specific curiosity is that the lead sponsor of this research is the Pure Sources Protection Council or NRDC. They’re, or was once, certainly one of America’s greatest environmental advocacy outfits. Now they’re “environmental industrialists” a dwelling oxymoron. They wish to rebuild the worldwide energy system within the title of environmental safety. Absolutely that is senseless insanity.
In any case, connecting all this unneeded intermittent wind era to the grid is a large challenge that has but to even floor, a lot much less to be resolved. Keep tuned to CFACT as this monster story unfolds.
Creator
David Wojick, Ph.D. is an impartial analyst working on the intersection of science, know-how and coverage. For origins see http://www.stemed.data/engineer_tackles_confusion.html For over 100 prior articles for CFACT see http://www.cfact.org/writer/david-wojick-ph-d/
Out there for confidential analysis and consulting.
