Strong Federal Transmission Policy: A Key Component of a Clean Energy Future

The Union of Concerned Scientists asserts that the United States requires federal legislation to overcome barriers in the planning and siting of transmission lines, which currently hinder the deployment of renewable energy. The document advocates for 'Green Energy Superhighways' to connect remote renewable resource areas to population centers, while emphasizing that federal authority should act as a backstop when states cannot agree on facilities of national interest. It warns that without a federal cap-and-trade system, transmission expansion in the Northeastern United States could inadvertently increase carbon emissions by allowing coal-based power to flow from non-RGGI states to those with emission caps.

• The United States requires federal legislation to ensure the timely construction of transmission lines and fair cost allocation, with the federal government serving as a backstop when state-level agreements on facilities of national interest fail.
• To expand clean electricity and reduce carbon emissions, the U.S. needs "Green Energy Superhighways" to connect populous load centers with the most economic and plentiful renewable resource areas, which are often located far apart.
• A reformed transmission planning process must be transparent and participatory, involving stakeholders such as utilities, environmentalists, and unions, while prioritizing the use of existing rights-of-way and smart grid technologies to minimize the need for new facilities.
• In the Northeastern United States, expanding the transmission grid without a strict federal cap-and-trade system could allow coal-based electricity to flow from states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia into RGGI-participating states such as Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey, potentially producing emissions equivalent to 15 new coal plants.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2009). Strong Federal Transmission Policy: A Key Component of a Clean Energy Future. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/transmission-legislation-needed.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Strong Federal Transmission Policy: A Key Component of a Clean Energy Future. 2009. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/transmission-legislation-needed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Strong Federal Transmission Policy: A Key Component of a Clean Energy Future |date=April 2009 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/transmission-legislation-needed.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2009strong, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Strong Federal Transmission Policy: A Key Component of a Clean Energy Future}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/transmission-legislation-needed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }