October 25, 2002—The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) recently released its Reliability Assessment 2002-2011, which asserts that North America’s generation capacity will likely be adequate through 2005, but that transmission expansion “continues to lag generation additions.”
The report indicates that most of the transmission projects planned for the next ten years will connect new generators or customers to the grid, but that power plants being built in areas with limited access may experience difficulties transmitting their power to designated markets. The assessment also concludes that the grid is expected to reliably meet projected demand but system limitations and congestion will likely increase in some areas.
NERC suggests that implementation procedures for regional transmission organizations could affect the adequacy and reliability of the grid in the future.
For more information or to download the full report, contact NERC.
Based on a report from the US Energy Departments Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EREN).
