November 10, 2008—The impact of environmental initiatives and the need for transmission infrastructure are among the most important issues facing electric reliability in North America over the coming 10 years, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) announced recently in its 2008 Long-Term Reliability Assessment. While the total miles of transmission additions have increased slightly over the 2007 report, generation additions are projected to significantly outpace new transmission development.
“We need more transmission resources to maintain reliability and achieve environmental goals,” commented Rick Sergel, president and CEO of NERC. “Transmission lines are the critical link between new generation and customers, yet we continue to see transmission development lag behind generation additions. Faster siting, permitting, and construction of transmission resources will be vital to keeping the lights on in the coming years.”
The reports also highlight other key reliability developments, including:
- Capacity margins generally improved, desert Southwest and Western Canada require more resources by 2010
- 750% growth in proposed wind generation projected by 2017
- Demand response projected to offset nearly 80% of US peak demand growth in 2016
- Protection system misoperations identified as a leading cause of bulk power system outages in North America
For more information, see the NERC Web site.
