Western Governors Plan $15-billion Electrical Transmission Grid
Declining investment in new transmission facilities has resulted in grid congestion and power outages costing the economy $25 billion to $180 billion annually, according the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Electrical Transmission and Distribution.
For fast-growing states such as California -- where power demand is growing about 4% annually, or double the national average -- the project could mean timely relief. The state was forced to order rolling blackouts during its energy crisis in 2000-01, a move that escalated electricity prices across much of the Western US. California needs an estimated 1,000-Mw of new power capacity annually to keep pace with demand, state officials claim.