A new report by The Brattle Group on behalf of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), titled- Incorporating GETs and HPCs into Transmission Planning Under FERC Order 1920, has highlighted the role of Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) and High-Performance Conductors (HPCs) in ensuring the U.S. transmission grid can meet the surging near-term power demand from growing economic sectors while keeping costs down for consumers.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) transmission planning and cost allocation rule, Order 1920, directs transmission providers to develop scenario-based, long-term transmission planning including the consideration of GETs and HPCs.
The report addresses how:
- current planning processes may be inadequate for their consideration;
- Order 1920 can remedy these deficiencies; and
- relevant state entities can encourage transmission providers to fully integrate these technologies into transmission planning and selection processes.
“GETs and HPCs are proven tools that can add critical grid capacity in less than a year in some instances,” said Elise Caplan, ACORE’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. “FERC’s directive in Order 1920 sets the stage for transmission providers to cost-effectively address rapid load growth and other challenges to the grid through careful consideration of these technologies.”
Improved long-term transmission planning processes will evaluate all available solutions within multiple scenarios. FERC’s directive presents opportunities for states to work with transmission providers to enhance the technologies’ consideration and promote broader adoption.
“In finalizing Order 1920, FERC directed transmission providers to revamp their planning processes to better plan and prepare the system for future challenges,” said Rich Glick, Principal at GQS New Energy Strategies and former FERC Chair. “This report shows that GETs and HPCs offer a near-term capacity solution while grid operators continue to plan the regional transmission lines needed to meet future challenges.”
