How to keep electricity costs down amid uncertain federal policy
Keeping the lights on nationwide is a feat of engineering that depends on millions of miles of power lines and thousands of power-generation plants.
The U.S. power grid faces challenges due to shifting federal policies, growing demand for electricity, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A new Stanford study suggests that investing in transmission infrastructure and wind power could significantly lower electricity costs while promoting clean energy. Building more transmission lines and wind capacity could reduce annual costs by 0.2% to 3.4% in 2035 and 1.3% to 7.3% in 2050, even without federal support for renewable energy.
This is because transmission infrastructure allows for better access to low-cost renewable resources and enables the sharing of resources across regions. In Texas, expanding transmission could lower costs by 4% to 9% compared to the national grid without transmission expansion. The study emphasizes that certain investments, such as transmission and wind power, provide benefits regardless of the policy landscape, making them strong candidates for bipartisan support.
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