US power line capacity needs to at least double to handle Biden’s clean energy goals, DOE report

An Energy Department study released Monday finds Biden administration to achieve its clean energy goals must at least double the existing regional power line capacity by 2035.

An announcement on the study says existing power line capacity isn’t adequate to carry electricity from an increasing number of wind and solar farms, nor can it handle increased charging demand from electric vehicles.

“Today’s grid cannot adequately support 21st century challenges – including the integration of new clean-energy sources and growing transportation and building electrification – while remaining resilient in the face of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change,” the announcement stated.

The study divides the U.S. grid into 15 different regions. Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Texas are treated as separate regions. Other regions such as the Northwest, which includes Idaho, Oregon, Washington and parts of Montana, are composed of multiple states.

The “National Transmission Needs Study” found that transmission lines that join the regions will need to increase five fold to meet the president’s clean energy goals.

A recent report from the International Energy Agency estimated the world would need to build or refurbish 50 million miles of transmission lines in the next 17 years to meet the goals of the international emissions reduction targets of the Paris Agreement.

Besides the capital costs, which run into the millions of dollars per mile, experts warn that transmission line construction runs up against supply chain issues, land use conflicts and labor shortages, making the goals difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.